


Sing Me A Song

by forestofsecrets



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Abduction, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Siren, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Attempted Murder, Betrayal, Cannibalism, Character Death, Comedy, Conflict, Consensual Sex, Courting Rituals, Derogatory Language, Dirty Talk, Drama, Eggs, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional Roller Coaster, Escape, Explicit Sexual Content, Fishing, Forced Orgasm, Friendship, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Hopeful Ending, Implied Character Death, Injury Recovery, Internal Conflict, Island Living, Kissing, M/M, Manipulation, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Drowning, Minor Injuries, Mystery, Natural Disasters, Non-Consensual Touching, Nonverbal Communication, Object Penetration, Past Murder, Period-Typical Sexism, Promises, Rape Aftermath, Rape/Non-con Elements, Recovery, Reunions, Shipwrecks, Singing, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Suicide, Supernatural Elements, Survival, Tension, Timeskip, Trauma, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Violence, Volcanoes, at times I suppose, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 17:48:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 35
Words: 64,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestofsecrets/pseuds/forestofsecrets
Summary: Otoya woke in the sand. His thoughts were slow to come back to him. There was a storm -- the ship crashed. How did he survive?Maybe the answer was in a pair of misty gray eyes staring down at him, every bit as wild as the sea that put him here in the first place.
Relationships: Aijima Cecil/Nanami Haruka, Hijirikawa Masato/Jinguuji Ren, Ichinose Tokiya/Ittoki Otoya, Ittoki Otoya/Shinomiya Natsuki, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 72
Kudos: 51





	1. For Whom The Bell Tolls

**Author's Note:**

> This was only supposed to be a short story but it kept expanding and getting bigger until I realized I had written a small novella. I took a break from writing this in mid 2018 but now I can finally visualize an ending. I'll update the tags as I go. I did, however, put all the relationship tags in. Otoya and Toki will be the main focus. Haruka and Cecil will be in the background as well as Masa and Ren.
> 
> Made on ~04/2018.

The rocking of the ship mirrored the turmoil of the skies. It violently shook from side to side, effectively shaking all aboard. Lightning flashed, one of the only sources of light in the black sky. It landed in the sea not too far from the ship. However, the captain was undeterred. His ship could handle this, it’s seen worse. That being said, it wasn’t going to be pretty this time.

“Oi, hold it steady!” A yell came from the main deck. Otoya looked behind him to see Syo, the smallest of the sailors, trying to tie down some rope. He was struggling to do it. His mass wasn’t enough to hold him down adequately. But Otoya was in no position to help, he had his own hands full.

A boisterous laugh came from above them. “Sorry, sorry!” Their captain held tightly to the ship’s wheel. Otoya barely heard him above the crashing of the waves. Crests that made it over gave him a face full of salty water, soaking him to the bone. He knew that Reiji was a little eccentric but this was pushing it, wasn’t it?

Another flash of lightning and a heavy roll of thunder. It let them know just how close they had come to running aground. Sharp rocks could be seen with the naked eye, looming ever closer. Their greedy teeth were eager to poke holes in their hull and drag them to the bottom of the sea.

A feminine scream filled the air. It got carried by the wind. All heads whipped to the source of the sound. Otoya got another helping of water splashed hard on his face. Shaking his head, he squinted at the two figures near the edge of the deck. The scream must have some from Haruka and Ranmaru was with her. He could barely make out their yelled words.

“Damned woman. This is your fault.” Ranmaru spat and swore at her. Haruka was visibly pale and shaking. “We should have never agreed to this. Look at where its lead us.” He had a tight grip on her upper arm and dragged her to the edge of the deck. “There is no place for a woman aboard a ship.” Haruka was crying and hiccuping in fear, shaking her head in vain.

Otoya realized what was happening. She was going to get thrown over. Their captain saw it as well.

“Enough.” Reiji’s voice carried authority and urgency. It boomed across the deck, reaching all who were on it. It caused Ranmaru to pause and glare at his captain. Otoya could only watch them meet each other’s eyes. The momentary pause caused Haruka to try to yank her arm away, however it was unsuccessful. 

It was like the chaos of the storm around them yielded to the maelstrom of the internal power struggle aboard the ship. Otoya barely heard the blistering winds or felt the spray of salt water on him this time. He swallowed hard and increased the pace of his hands. He had to get these cannons tied down properly and quickly. Reiji couldn’t leave his spot at the wheel without disastrous consequences.

Then the bubble of silence burst. Otoya’s ears filled with the roar of the waves once more.

It seemed another crewmate had the same idea. When Otoya glanced up to make sure Haruka was still on board, that he still had time, he saw Ren approaching Ranmaru. They struggled together, Haruka between them. Ranmaru and Ren were yelling at each other while Haruka was screaming.

Once Otoya ensured all the cannons were tied down, he skidded across the deck. The ship jerked steeply to one side, causing him to get thrown off balance. He braced his fall with his arms, trying to make it to the mast to get some hold. Some barrels rolled past him, not being tied down. A sharp pain slashed the back of his leg. If it was getting this bad, then they may be in serious danger. Reiji’s concentration was broken, now worried about losing some of his crew.

Once the ship was relatively level, he raced past the struggle on deck. Another bolt of lightning struck, illuminating their faces as Otoya ran by. 

Sliding to Ren’s station, he fumbled with the sails being tied down. One was still loose and caught wind, filling it. This was Ren’s specialty but Otoya knew how to do it well enough. He was closer now, able to hear the words being shouted.

“She’s brought this bad luck on us.” Ranmaru was insistent, set in the old ways. “This she-devil is the cause of the storm. Let us be rid of her!” His angry shout was nearly drowned out by the thick sound of thunder.

Then, the ship lurched. The crest of a wave crashed aboard and then his crewmates were gone. Otoya’s breath got caught in his throat. Panic arose inside him, making his fingers clumsy with the rope. He had nearly gotten that sail tied down.

Another lurch and the sound of splintering wood stood out over the waves and the thunder. He didn’t have any time to think about what to do. The next wave took him.


	2. As Fine As Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so 2nd time's the charm cause the first attempt to upload this had my draft disappearing lol. I already am having trouble trying to figure out how to upload a multi chapter story like leave me alone AO3... It was only two days old... It was a baby...
> 
> Anyways, I wrote this chapter before the first chapter I posted cause this story was only supposed to be about this long (only the first scene in this chapter). When I realized I wanted to continue it, I had to go back and add a beginning and add more to the end but this story really got away from me.
> 
> Made on ~04/2018.

The sound of the crashing waves reached Otoya’s ears first. It was a rhythmic sound, bringing him out of his slumber.

He didn’t open his eyes right away, opting to come to his senses first. He was cold, he realized. The sand beneath him was sapping away his body’s warmth. 

He was missing his shoes as he was able to wiggle his toes. Perhaps he could retrieve them later, should the sea allow it.

There was a strange taste in his mouth. It tasted like a mixture of salt and fish. It was especially present on his lips and tongue. How strange.

He matched his breathing to the sound of the sea. It calmed him. The salt from the ocean and the tang of seaweed filled the air. Then, he opened his eyes.

The first thing that met his eyes was the sky. The sky was an azure blue. It was a vast, cloudless sky. The sunlight was strong against Otoya’s eyes. The front of his clothes were starting to dry, warmed by the sunlight.

He laid there as he tried to remember what events had come to pass that lead to him lying there. There was storm and some of his crewmates was yelling and—

The ship had crashed. They, had crashed. Where were his mates? He had to find them.

Otoya jolted upright as soon as he remembered and gasped. Pain shot up his right leg. His hands instantly gripped his thigh, holding it still while he inspected it with his eyes. The leg of his pant was stained a deep red. The colour of the sand under his leg matched. He had been bleeding for some time.

He had to stop himself from losing any more blood.

Hissing through the pain, Otoya tried to move his leg to a better position so he could examine it. Rolling up the leg of his pants was taking too long so he yanked it up. He was met with a deep cut going down the back of his calf.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to think quickly. It was still leaking blood, but slowly. His eyes scanned the beach around him. There were scattered boards all across the beach. A barrel was bobbing in swallow water. He needed something to wrap his leg with. The only relatively clean cloth he had was his own clothing at the moment so it would have to suffice.

He rolled his pant leg back down and ripped it off. It was frayed near the bottom. Otoya took the fabric in his hands and tore. The damp material was weak enough to nearly come right apart in his hands. He sloppily made a makeshift bandage around his calf and tied it. His injury was on display since his right pant leg no longer had any material above the knee.

After taking care of his imminent bleeding problem, he exhaled.

The beach was silent of any human voices. Only the waves, constantly washing up on the beach, provided a background noise. Otoya knew that he couldn’t sit still any longer. He had to try to find the others and hopefully they were in better shape than he was.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to stand. He managed but promptly discovered that his injured leg couldn’t take much weight. Nevertheless, he couldn’t sit around. On his first step, he wobbled. On his second, he clenched his jaw. On his third, his leg buckled under him.

Otoya was brought down by gravity, sprawling out into the sand. His hands formed fists in his frustration, leaving scores in the sand. The gritty crystals got under his nails as tears started to form in his eyes. His ship crashed, his shipmates could be in danger, and he couldn’t even take more than three damn steps.

He had to find his captain and see what the damage was. He had to make sure Syo was alright. He needed to find Ren and Haruka, as they went over first with Ranmaru.

No, crying would get him nowhere. He had to try again. And again after that. Even if it was only three steps, it was something. He would walk those three steps over and over again. He firmed his resolve and began to stand once more until he heard a voice.

He didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t a voice of someone he knew.

It was distinct over the waves. Someone was singing.

It sounded beautiful to Otoya. His body went still in the sand to listen. It was an incredibly powerful voice articulating a song that was foreign to him. Without realizing it, his eyes started to close and Otoya drifted off, his heart full of the strange song.

Waking up for a second time on the beach, the mariner came to his senses slower than before. He felt groggy, perhaps his circumstances were finally catching up with his body. How long had passed? The sun was low in the sky but setting or rising, Otoya didn’t know.

He was on his back again. Hadn’t he fallen asleep on his stomach? Then, he felt something on his right leg. Someone was tightening the bandage he made.

Hope filled him. It had to be one of his crewmates! They must have found him!

Otoya opened his eyes in a hurry to see who it was and started to sit up. He was wondering who it was but the eyes that met his own were unfamiliar.

They were a light, misty blue. Like the horizon covered in fog on a gray morning. But they weren’t the eyes on one of his mates. Sitting before him was a stranger.

Otoya didn’t speak a word. He just stared. The stranger did the same, their hands stilled on his leg. 

“Wow.” Otoya couldn’t help the awestruck sigh. This stranger was captivating. It wasn’t just their eyes either. Their hair was a deep shade of purple that Otoya had only seen in rich colours of stolen paintings and plundered robes. It dripped with water, falling off the pointed ends.

The stranger was without a shirt, showing off a distinctly male body. That was the only hint Otoya got that this stranger was male. He seemed ethereal that the sailor was so sure that the being before him was female. But that wasn’t the only surprised this stranger offered.

Instead of legs, there was the tail of a fish. The sun glinted off the scales, scales that matched the deep plum of his hair. Otoya openly gawked.

Was he dead? This couldn’t be real. A mermaid? Or, merman rather? Of course, he had heard stories of mermaids. They were of legend to mariners but Otoya had never dealt with them himself. They were historically known to save sailors in life threatening situations at sea.

“Did you save me?” Otoya didn’t miss how this creature’s hands was binding his leg. The bandage was neater than the hasty one he had tied himself.

But Otoya’s supposed saviour was silent. He seemed frightened, almost. When he didn’t answer, Otoya tried again.

“What’s your name?” 

Again, silence. Could he not speak? The merman must be shy, Otoya figured. So another tactic once again.

“Thank you for binding my leg.” Otoya tried to show a wide smile. His gratitude was genuine and he hoped it showed. He got a shy smile from the merman in response, who went back to tying his leg.

Otoya let his eyes wander to the creature’s tail once more. He wanted to touch it, to make sure that it was real. It was similar to the tail of a fish, that was certain, but the fins were jagged. There were smaller fins along the length of the tail itself, disrupting the streamline. The webbing at the very end of the tail shone a purple so dark that is was almost black. It was translucent so Otoya could see the veins underneath the skin that pulsed with life.

The merman’s hands stilled once more, the bandage was done tight. He paused, looking at Otoya from the side. His mouth opened, as if he meant to speak, but closed it again without saying a word. At last, a single word made it out.

“Tokiya.” His eyes were downcast. Otoya could barely see the centres through Tokiya’s thick eyelashes.

Otoya introduced himself. “I’m Otoya.” He smiled brightly at Tokiya. Tokiya offered a weak smile of his own.

The sailor leans back on his hands, letting them dig into the sand. He stretched his legs out, wincing at the pain from the injury. But enjoyed the sun shining down on him regardless. He let his head hang back and he laughed, almost startling the merman.

Otoya laughed loud and clear. The sound travelling down the beach. He was alive.

Tokiya’s quiet whispers barely reached Otoya over his laughing. “How are you feeling?” It caused Otoya to look at him again, smile wide.

“I feel great! Except for the leg but that isn’t too bad.” He answered honestly. His body felt light and his head spun a bit. Perhaps a side effect with meeting a legend?

His answer only seemed to make Tokiya’s smile fade and be replaced with a frown. His lips were pressed tightly together. It didn’t escape Otoya’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” Otoya questioned him, his own smile wavering. Tokiya’s expression was sobering. Did he have something bad to tell him? Maybe something like… He was the only one was survived the shipwreck? No, it couldn’t be. If Otoya heard that, he didn’t know what he’d do. “What is it?”

This merman seemed stubborn. He just bit his lip and played with the end of the bandage on Otoya’s leg. The mariner was confused. “Tokiya?” He had just gotten him talking! Otoya was a little discouraged to be back at square one with him.

The displeasure must have shown on his face. His mates always said he wore his heart on his sleeve.

“Don’t you remember?” Tokiya finally spoke. He sounded frustrated.

“Remember what?” Otoya cocked his head slightly. His words caused Tokiya to glare at him. Was he upset with something?

“Remember that you died!” Tokiya exclaimed so loud that it echoed down the beach. “You were dead!” The dam had broken. “You weren’t breathing. I didn’t know what to do.” He dragged himself closer to Otoya using his arms, his tail flopping behind him. “I didn’t know if you were going to be alright.”

It left Otoya speechless. “I… Died? I was dead?” The questions just kept coming. “Am I dead now? What about everyone else?” Speechless one second and then close to hyperventilating the second. His eyes went as wide as the moon and his hand went over his mouth. Oh god, was he dead? A sudden fear seized him, destroying his carefree attitude just minutes before.

“You are alive.” Tokiya just shook his head and assured him. “Very much alive. I got you breathing again.” 

That left Otoya sputtering. So he was alive after all. But he had stopped breathing at one point, according to Tokiya. So, how exactly was he alive? Different thoughts raced through Otoya’s head. Was it some sort of magic spell? 

“How did you...?” Otoya trailed off, trying to find some way to ask if Tokiya had cast a magic spell on him. It felt a tad silly trying to put it into words. He had just discovered that mermaids were real, was it really so silly to believe a little magic was real as well?

Tokiya’s eyes trailed down to Otoya’s chest. The merman wiggled closer to Otoya, enough to put his webbed hands on the mariner’s chest. Otoya realized his shirt was torn open near the top, exposing his tan skin.

“I had to get your heart beating,” Tokiya leaned close and Otoya could swear that he could see the stars in the depths of Tokiya’s eyes. The merman had him captivated, those long eyelashes fluttering prettily. Otoya’s heart was definitely beating now, faster and faster.

Tokiya continued softly. “And I had to get air into your lungs.” One of Tokiya’s hands slipped from Otoya’s chest to the back of his head, pushing him forward into Tokiya’s kiss. Otoya’s eyes widened as he felt warmth cover his mouth. Something wet slid over his lips. Tokiya’s eyes were half lidded as he pushed against the sailor. The sudden affection made Otoya dizzy.

Tokiya was the one who broke it, leaving Otoya to try to catch his breath. He could only manage a small “oh” that came as a sigh. The merman leaned back, giving Otoya some room.

Otoya licked his lips. That explained the taste when he first woke up.

They were silent for a while. Otoya wasn’t expecting that. Now he was the one that couldn’t look the other in the eye. He had a feeling that his face was red, not from the sunburn either. Once that crossed his mind, he realized he had to get off this beach. The sun was strong and the sand was dry. His throat was dry from the salt. He needed some water. He needed to find his crewmates.

Sobering up, Otoya got his head on straight. He had to move. Getting ready to stand up, Otoya bent his leg. It still hurt and he doubt it was able to heal much but it had to be enough.

That was when he heard a voice on the wind. It wasn’t like the one he had heard before. That one was unfamiliar and lulled him to sleep. This one, however, was bright and cheery and one he knew very well.

“Captain!” Otoya’s voice carried across the beach. The figure in the distance perked up and waved, gaining speed. So Reiji had made it as well. That gave Otoya hope. If there were two of them, there had to be more.

Otoya struggled to stand but managed by the time Reiji reached him. The captain was panting, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. His hair was flat and starting to curl at the ends. His signature hat was missing. His clothes seemed free of any blood but they were in disarray. “So glad to see you,” he managed between huffs. “Your hair stood out.”

Otoya smiled, the hope making its way to his face. “You’re alive.” He stated the obvious because it needed stating. 

Reiji chuckled at that. “Ren’s alive too.” He finally got some wind in him.

His smile got wider at the news. “And the ship?” 

His question made his captain falter. Reiji was quiet before admitting the truth. “The ship’s in pieces, Otoyan. It’s bad.” He offered a sad smile. Otoya knew that the ship was Reiji’s pride and joy. He was fiercely proud of it. It couldn’t have been easy on his pride to own up to that. Reiji’s focus shifted to the ground, next to Otoya. Ah, he had almost forgotten about Tokiya.

“You met one too, huh?” Reiji spoke to Otoya, without taking his eyes off Tokiya. “One of them saved Ren too.” That revelation made Otoya gawk.

“You mean..!? There’s more?” Otoya gasped at the thought. He had never started to think that were could be more creatures such as this.

“Come with me,” Reiji started. “I’ll fill you in as we go back to camp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a whole end note written out before but now I can't remember what I said.


	3. Footsteps on the Beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this story, I divided it into scenes, not chapters. So, all my chapter lengths will vary wildly. I would ideally like one scene per chapter but I don't like posting something so short for a chapter like this so I will post another one right after this.
> 
> The good news is that I finished writing this story. Now all I have to do is post the chapters at regular intervals. I am thinking Monday and Friday? 
> 
> Made on ~04/2018.

As they walked, Reiji helped Otoya along the shoreline. Otoya could manage more than three steps easily with Reiji’s shoulder. Tokiya followed them as he swam through the shallows.

Reiji told them both what had happened from what he remembered. Otoya quickly admitted to not remembering much. There was the storm, the fight, and then the ship broke apart. The captain’s jaw set as he spoke of the anguish of knowing they were going down and losing crew members right before his eyes. He didn’t linger on it but Otoya knew that he blamed himself for part of it. Otoya himself certainly didn’t blame him for it.

Instead, Reiji told them of how he washed up on shore like a drowned rat. He chalked it up to his luck and love of the sea. Tokiya had a small laugh at that.

Reiji was able to find Ren right after, not being far apart. The other sailor was unconscious still with a board draped over him. At least, Reiji explained, that was what he thought until he got closer.

It hadn’t been a board at all but a person. Or at least, part of one. They had no legs but a gigantic tail. It was curved up, the fins poised in the air. The scales were a brilliant blue in colour. The front half of the creature was hovering over Ren’s face. Its hands were caressing the face of the sailor underneath it.

“I’d never seen a mermaid before and boy,” Reiji whistled. Tokiya turned his head at the sound of the whistling. “I was stunned. What a thing to see after a shipwreck. Right out of the tales of the old legends.” Otoya agreed with him, watching Tokiya leisurely make his easy through the swallow water.

It wasn’t long before Reiji brought them both to his camp, as he called it. In reality, there were some boards scattered about. Three barrels were off in the sand not too far away. It was high up the beach, away from the water. It was close to the trees and brush that grew thick into a jungle.

The sun was rising in the sky, giving Otoya a clear view of the back of someone’s strawberry blond head. That had to be Ren.

Walking up the beach with Reiji’s help, Otoya called out. The head turned around, making some of the redhead’s worries disappear.

So Reiji and Ren were safe and relatively uninjured. Ren was having some soreness in his shoulder but he assured them that he was fine. After getting acquainted with Ren once more, Otoya sat on a piece of old wood, serving as a log. They swapped stories of their rescue, including the mythical creatures that helped them. He barely noticed the throbbing in his leg anymore, too ecstatic to see some of his mates. He let his gaze wander to the edge of the water. He couldn’t see Tokiya anymore.

He straightened and scanned the waterline more carefully. He was just there, wasn’t he? Where had he gone? His concern must have shown on his face, Ren assured him that they would be back. For what reason, Otoya didn’t know. But he couldn’t deny that he wanted to see more of Tokiya. He was alluring in ways Otoya couldn’t name.

Otoya leaned back and sighed. The sun was starting to make his skin feel hot. He had been laying in the sun for too long. He might get burnt if he wasn’t careful. That could bring a whole new host of problems along with it. 

Out of the three of them, he seemed to be in the worst shape. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was starting to feel his body’s pains. Hunger, thirst, and his leg pained him. The warmth from the sun was making him droopy and exhausted, wanting nothing more than just to fall asleep right there. But he couldn’t just fall asleep. The three of them were in this together. He had to help search for the others and—

Otoya’s body slowly tipped off the log and he fell into the sand, sound asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up with chapter titles is the thing that takes the longest when uploading these.


	4. Ebb and Flow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second chapter that I mentioned in the previous chapter. This one is of better length so this will be it until Friday!
> 
> This story was key in developing the style that I use now. That is why I left the early chapters unchanged from how I wrote them nearly two years ago.
> 
> Made on ~04/2018.

He woke to the sound of voices. It was evening. Another day or two had passed. How long had it been…? Otoya’s sense of the passage of time was broken.

He was on his back. He must have been moved after he passed out. He was under some sort of covered bench, he guessed. Some wood was built up with a net draped over it. Large leaves were put on top in an effort to shelter him from the sun, he could only assume. The voices were getting louder.

Rolling out from under the makeshift bench, Otoya brushed the sand off of him. It would be annoying to wash out of his hair but he had bigger problems at the moment. He saw the glow of a small fire just a ways away. The redhead made his way towards it. He still wasn’t able to walk completely straight but it was better than nothing.

There were more bodies than just Reiji and Ren, he quickly realized. There were two more. Instead of the silhouettes of Ranmaru and Syo, they were different. One he was able to identify as Haruka, and relief filled him. So she had made it too. But the other caught his attention quickly. The other silhouette had wings.

If mermaids happened to exist, then their counterparts had to as well, didn’t they? Otoya had heard many a tale of a pretty mermaid but twice as many about sirens. Known as dangerous creatures, they lured sailors with their voices to their deaths. A siren appearing here was a bad omen. Otoya wasn’t one to be overly superstitious but one does hear things. This siren seemed less about giving them back luck and more about attaching itself to Haruka, however.

Ren called him over, causing the group to turn towards Otoya’s arrival. Haruka, who was standing by herself was suddenly nestled in the arms of the siren. She seemed surprised to have been grabbed so suddenly.

“You gave us quite the scare, you know, just passing out like that.” It was Ren who was talking to him, but Otoya couldn’t keep his eyes off the winged creature. Half man, half bird, a harpy. He had dark skin, much darker than Otoya’s own, but piercing sea foam green eyes. The wings sprouted from lower on his back. There was no mistaking him for an angel.

It took effort to peel his eyes off the siren and turned to Ren instead and chuckled an apology. 

Before the group fell into an awkward silence, it was Haruka who spoke up. “This is Cecil,” she introduced the siren clinging to her. He didn’t seem happy with Otoya’s arrival. A frown was evident on his face.

That name, however, rang a bell. It brought him back to when he was first introduced to Haruka.

Otoya had been called up onto the main deck by the captain. Something about a search mission. When he arrived, he found the rest of the crew had already arrived. A young woman stood next to Reiji.  
“This young lass is Haruka. She wants to make use of our fine ship to find her lover.” Reiji explained their mission to the crew. Haruka’s face got notably red as he spoke.

“His name is Cecil. I knew that he was still alive. I can’t explain it but I felt it in here.” She put her hands on her heart. “Thank you so much for helping me search for him.” She beamed at the crew, her happiness was all over her face. Her rosy cheeks matched her light pink hair.

One of the crew didn’t see things through such a rose coloured lens, however. Ranmaru, known for being rough around the edges and crass. He was traditional in his ways and having a woman onboard a ship spelled disaster. “Are you serious in having her?” He crossed his arms and stared down at her. Haruka shrunk under his gaze. Reiji had to come to her rescue by insisting that this was what he wanted to do.

“So you found him!” Otoya congratulated the young woman. She glowed even more than on the day they first met, the orange flames reflecting on her face. She did seem to withhold that her lover was, well, not human. Cecil seemed to understand that Otoya wasn’t a threat to him or Haruka so he loosened his grip.

“You woke up just in time, Otoyan.” Reiji was across from Otoya and was waving something on a stick. “We’re about to eat.”

Roasted fish. It wasn’t the best tasting but Otoya couldn’t care less as he tore into the charred fish. They had quite the haul, a total of seven fish. He was starving. When was it that he last ate? He could have easily eaten all seven but he held himself back after taking a second. It seems Haruka and Cecil weren’t eating. It then dawned on Otoya that he wasn’t sure when they arrived, either.

Ren nudged the last fish towards Otoya, who blinked at him. For him? He was about to refuse when Ren leaned over and told him “I think your friend insists that you have this one.” Ah, he was wondering how they managed to catch the fish. He recalled the colour of Tokiya’s eyes as he bit into the grilled fish.

Reiji finished this two fish quickly and took to questioning Haruka about what happened to her after the wreck. He mentioned how he could find no sense of her until she showed up out of the blue.  
“Showed up?” Otoya’s words were jumbled through his feeding frenzy. His throat was dry trying to swallow the meat. He turned towards her to try to get some answers.

Haruka flushed at being thrust into the centre of attention. All eyes around the fire were on her. She explained that she didn’t remember a lot of details, much like Otoya. She absentmindedly rubbed a dark bruise on her upper arm when she spoke. The sleeves of her dress must have torn off at some point. Otoya could easily see where Ranmaru’s fingers had gripped her. It must be sore.

“I found her floating on a piece of wood.” It was Cecil that took over. His voice was as light as air. It had musical undertones to it. But it sounded sour, like rotten fruit. “So I grabbed her. I knew she was mine.” Well, he was cheeky, wasn’t he? Cecil overlaid his hand with Haruka’s. An attempt at reassurance or a claim?

Otoya had heard that sirens were obsessive. That once they developed a fixation on their prey, they wouldn’t let them go even if the world was crumbling around them. Cecil was clingy at best so far. Haruka seemed comfortable with him, Otoya noted.

Cecil continued. “I brought her to my nest. She got to rest.” He straightened himself. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” He defended his actions.

Haruka cut in herself. “It’s true, Cecil didn’t do anything to hurt me!” Her large eyes were pleading with the men sitting before her. “Once I found out that I wasn’t the only one that survived, I had Cecil bring me here.”

Reiji nodded. He seems mostly satisfied with their explanation of what happened. His eyes narrowed before asking; “So when did you become a siren?” His voice was light but his eyes displayed just how serious he was. Was he second guessing Haruka’s appeal, the one she made to him when they had first set out on their journey?

Cecil face him head on, fearless. “Some months ago.” His green eyes were slits and his voice held suspicion. 

“How?” Reiji pushed Cecil some more. Otoya was starting to wonder if there was a point beyond just curiosity. He had finished his fish by now and was picking at the bones.

The siren just shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” He turned to look at Haruka beside him. “I’m alive and I’m here now.” He said it softly, almost cooing. The grip of his hand tightened in hers. He pulled her up by the hand and fluffed his wings. Loose feathers mixed with the sand. One floated into the fire and disappeared with a sizzle. “We’re heading home now. I can bring her back in the morning.” Without any chance for protest, the siren named Cecil secured Haruka in his arms and took off.

Reiji gave a low whistle once they were high in the sky. “Those wings sure are something.” He leaned back to watch them become as small as a star.

“Why ask all those questions?” It was Ren’s voice. He had been pretty quiet along with Otoya during Cecil and Haruka’s explanation. Normally, Ren would think better than to question his captain but they were in some pretty severe circumstances. Otoya was also wondering, if he was honest with himself.

“Hmm,” Reiji hummed as he poked at the fire. The flame was dying down. The moon was starting to rise, bathing them all in a silver light. It was close to a full moon but not yet. It still had to fatten up before it would be a round disk in the sky. “Can’t a guy just be curious?” 

And that was it. Otoya retreated back to where he woke up, underneath that bench. Unlike the other times he passed out, sleep didn’t claim him right away. He ate and had some energy. His leg stung so he opted to clean it before heading to bed. Reiji shooed him towards the edge of the beach.

Otoya rolled his remaining pant leg up and waded into the water, stopped before the water reach his injury. The cool water felt nice on his toes, he dug them into the wet sand. He knew that the water was full of salt but it didn’t stop the thought from making its way into his head. He knew he couldn’t drink it but it was so temping and right in front of him. All he had to do was bend down and scoop up some water in his hands.

His throat was so dry. The rational part of him was getting smaller. He didn’t even realize he had bent down until he was able to wiggle his fingers in the water. He swallowed. The water was so clear, surely taking one or two gulps would be alright. Surely.

Otoya cupped his hands under the water, allowing them to be filled with the transparent liquid. He inadvertently licked his lips. This thirst was becoming unbearable. He needed it.

Raising his hands, he watched as it overflowed from his fingers. It would be delicious, flowing down his parched throat. He could almost taste it.

A pair of pale hands shot out, jolting Otoya’s hand and causing him to lose his water. His head jerked up guiltily, his trance was broken. He met a pair of soft, gray eyes. He knew those eyes.

“Tokiya,” he murmured. He hadn’t heard the merman approach. He swallowed dryly.

Tokiya still held onto Otoya’s hands. “You can’t drink this.” His voice was so delicate. “You can’t.” He repeated himself, rubbing the tops of Otoya’s hands with his thumbs.

“I know.” Otoya’s voice seemed so small, hoarse from a lack of water. He swallowed again, he couldn’t help it.

Being crouched for so long was starting to pain his leg. He had to either sit or stand back up. He didn’t fancy to sleep in wet clothes. He tried to keep the strain off his face but the trembling of his leg gave him away.

“Go sit on the shore,” Tokiya motioned towards the sandy shoreline. “I’ll be back soon.” His whispering disappeared into the dark water. Otoya watched as his fins caused ripples abnormal to the waves.

Otoya did as he was told. He busied himself with untying his bandage in the meantime. The bleeding had stopped but his dried blood was nearly black, a stark contract on the once white cloth. He reversed the cloth and tied it back on. He had to make sure not to reopen the wound in the coming days.

He sat in silence, letting the moonlight wash over him. Waiting for Tokiya to return gave Otoya a moment to breathe. He felt like he was still caught in that storm. Between waking up and passing out, he hadn’t even spent an entire day awake. This was the most alert he’s been since the wreck.

They’ve stumbled upon most of the crew. Syo and Ranmaru were still missing but based off what Cecil said, it had only been a few days. Otoya hadn’t seen the remains of the ship yet but Reiji implied that the ship was near unsalvageable. The multiple wooden boards scattered across the beach were proof of how bad the damage was.

The wind cooled his heated skin. He definitely got too much sun. He’ll be paying for that tomorrow, most likely. He’ll have to stay out of the sun as much as possible. His tanned skin held sun well but he must have surpassed his limit.

He was alone, that was evident. They were alone. All alone on this deserted island. There was a tiny hope inside Otoya that maybe this island had some contact to the outside world but if sirens and mermaids frequented here, that hope grew smaller. They had no ship, no way out. 

Though, they were using a well-travelled sailing route before they crashed. Even if the storm could have blown them off course, Reiji used the stars as a guide. It really came in handy when the islands they passed weren’t recognizable enough. As far as Otoya knew, they were following the North Star, keeping it on the eastern front. But navigation wasn’t Otoya’s forte, Ren was more interested in that aspect.

Instead of staying positive, Otoya fanned the flame of doubt and uncertainty inside of him. He started to get scared. They were still missing crew members. They could be dead. His eyes welled with tears. He brought his knees to his chest and bent his head down, his forehead touching his knees.

He could die on this island. They already couldn’t find clean water. His leg could get infected. Ren’s shoulder could get worse. They could get on the siren’s bad side. These thoughts raced through Otoya’s head. He was terrified. His crewmates were the closest thing he had to family. He didn't think he could bare to lose even one of them.

But he had to pull himself together. He was one of the youngest members of the crew but he couldn’t afford to think like this. Reiji and Ren were depending on him to be clear minded, as much as he had already depended on them.

Raising his head, he looked to the moon. Tears overflowed as he gazed upon the far off object. He made no effort to clear their trails from his cheeks. He uncurled his legs and stretched them out before him. Otoya leaned back on his hands. He was in the same pose the other day with Tokiya, laughing and carefree.

Otoya tried to smile but his dried lips cracked. Blood flowed down his chin. How fitting, he thought.

Ripples in the water caught his attention. It was paired with near silent splashes of someone moving through the water. Tokiya had returned. He was holding something in his hands, above the water.

Otoya wiped away the blood and tears on his face. He forced himself to stand, to move those legs of his over to where Tokiya was waiting. The mythical creature seemed to be balancing some sort of shell in his hands.

Otoya walked in the water until it was just past his ankles and crouched. Tokiya was holding an upturned scallop shell filled with crystal clear liquid. But his eyes could barely look at Tokiya or the shell. Instead he stared ahead, eyes unfocused.

“You’re bleeding.” He felt fingertips on his bottom lip, smudging the blood. Tokiya looked at him with concern and worry. Otoya blinked heavily, the tears no doubt caused his eyes to appear red and blurry. He almost couldn’t take the care that Tokiya showed him.

Tokiya brought the shell into his view. “Drink this.” A pause before he added, “please.” He lifted it to the sailor’s mouth.

The water was fresh and cool, filling Otoya’s mouth and filling his throat. Most importantly, it was free of any thirst inducing salt. It revitalized him, even if it was no more than a few mouthfuls. It cleared all the sand and salt that had built up in his throat.

Otoya cleared his throat a few times. “Thank you.” It felt like he was always thanking Tokiya for something whenever he saw him. The moonlight shone off the moving water around them, reflecting onto Tokiya’s face. Otoya never noticed the small patches of scales on his upper body before. They shone under the moonlight, a translucent pearl.

His lip quivered, causing more blood to ooze out of the deep crack. An invisible wave of uselessness washed over him. It pushed him over in a déjà vu moment. Otoya landed smack on his behind with a splash. The water instantly soaked his pants and bindings. So much for keeping them dry.

Otoya let his shoulders slump. His leg was stinging and he ignored it. He ignored Tokiya’s questions of what was wrong. How could Tokiya be so kind to him? He could barely stand it. It was starting to infuriate him.

His anger boiled over. “Why are you doing this?” It wasn’t quite a yell, more of an exclamation. The sharpness in Otoya’s voice caused Tokiya to recoil. Otoya continued. “I can’t do anything for you. I can’t do anything for anyone on this island.” The tears were starting again. His shoulders were starting to shake in his fit. “I’m useless.” Otoya sniffed. His hands balled into fists for a moment, then he relaxed them. He bowed his head. “I shouldn’t even be alive.”

Deep down, Otoya knew he was scared. He was angry because he was scared and taking it out on Tokiya wouldn’t solve anything. But the words had been said. And Tokiya wasn’t saying anything back. Otoya couldn’t look up. Maybe he left. Otoya couldn’t blame him. That only served to push Otoya’s mood further down.

The anger began to ebb, and regret filled him in its place. His tears fell harder and left salty trails down his face. “Sorry,” His voice cracked on the single word. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

When Otoya looked up, only the choppy, dark water was before him. Tokiya was gone.

Reiji found Otoya sitting in the shallows alone the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we got three types of characters; humans (Otoya, Ren, Syo, Reiji, Ran, Haruka), mermaids (Masa, Toki), and sirens (Cecil).


	5. Light Me Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never actually read another siren story like this before so I have no idea if what I am doing is way off base from the usual or what.
> 
> The new Masa gacha UR looks absolutely stunning and I adore him. I have been wanting a traditionally Japanese UR for him since the game started. That's kind of his thing, ya know, so I thought it was odd that it took him this long to get one.
> 
> Made on ~04/2018.

His captain cursed him, dragging him out of the freezing water. Otoya had long since gone numb to the temperature. The next few days were a blur for him. He mostly spent it sleeping or staring into the horizon. He hadn’t seen Tokiya since then.

His skin blistered and flaked. Heat radiated off of him but he was constantly chilled. He got a pounding in his head most days. A cough developed soon after. It wasn’t good.

His captain visited him constantly, Ren was less often. Otoya could have sworn he even saw Haruka once but he was mostly in a daze that day. Reiji tried to encourage him to get some spirit back. Otoya was listless, but he heard his captain.

Slowly, Reiji’s words made their way through Otoya’s pounding skull. He mulled over his options. Otoya was still scared. But watching his crewmates try to survive day in and day out sparked that tiny hope he had inside of him.

By the end of the fifth day, Otoya steeled himself. He was going to survive and, eventually, escape from here. This was what he decided. He would get back to full health and help his mates survive. He would find Tokiya and apologize properly. He wouldn’t let himself be a burden any longer. He wouldn’t allow himself to be persuaded anymore.

Within a week, his skin healed. Otoya rarely spent any time in the sun, determined not to aggravate it any further. His headaches subsided, allowing him to think clearly. His calf had scabbed over. It was close to being fully healed. His split lip was also recovering well. Good, Otoya thought, finally he would be back to full strength.

The day that Otoya felt fully strong again was gloomy. It was the first day that didn’t have a shining sun greet the three shipwrecked survivors when they woke. In part, he was glad. An overcast sky could mean rain. Gazing up made painful memories rise to the surface, Otoya didn’t want to remember life on the ship right now.

Their little camp had expanded. Mostly, the waterlogged bits of wood had increased in number. But there were some new additions. A pile of colourful shells were placed next to Ren’s shelter. Multiple stacks of differently size rocks were next to their fire pit. Ren was sorting them, as far as Otoya could tell. Otoya went to greet him.

“Glad to see you’re better.” Ren greeted him first, giving Otoya a lopsided grin. He inclined for the redhead to sit beside him.

Having been beat to the punch, Otoya sheepishly laughed as he sat down. “I do feel more like myself now.” He then inquired about what Ren was doing.

“Only certain rocks make the sparks.” Ren selected a specific rock from the smallest pile. The blond flicked his wrist and all of a sudden, a knife was in his hand. Otoya nearly mistook the flash of silver for the spark of fire itself. It looked like Ren was still practising his party tricks. Otoya knew that if he asked, Ren would most likely say how he “had to keep practising. The ladies love this trick.” Otoya had always been secretly impressed and would never admit how many times he nicked his fingers trying to imitate him.

Ren slid his knife over a groove in the rock and it took a few times but Otoya saw it. The tiny spark of energy fizzled out quickly, having been for demonstration purposes only, but it impressed Otoya still.

The older sailor went on to explain how he was in charge of making sure they got their fire going every night, a purpose bestowed upon him but none other than their captain. As Ren explained that included digging the pit, finding the tinder, and collecting the rocks himself, Otoya realized that it was a major job.

“It keeps me busy.” Ren told Otoya. “Though, I do wish a certain someone would give me some matches instead of giving me seashells.” He increased the volume of his voice and Otoya blinked quizzically. Was that meant for him? 

A sudden, illogical fear gripped the redhead. Had he developed a surprise habit for sleepwalking? Did that include digging up seashells? He swore, he didn’t remember a thing. Though, he supposed, he would have been asleep…

The slapping of water brought him out of his reverie. It sounded like someone had hit the top of the water, the kind of action that would make the skin of the hand sting afterwards.

Ren just chuckled. “He’s so easy to get a rise out of.”

Oh, Otoya thought, that wasn’t meant for him after all. Reiji had mentioned that Ren was brought to shore by a similar creature as Tokiya, right? That must be him. When Tokiya crossed his mind, Otoya wilted slightly. He shook himself out of that.

Otoya abruptly stood up. “I’m going to go to the place I washed up.” He made sure not to accidentally knock over any of the pile of rocks around them. “I won’t be long.”

Starting to walk away, he heard Ren call out after him. “That’s to the west of here. Reiji went east.” Otoya waved behind him, so he was heading west, got it. Ren was always the better one with directions. The blond would often take shifts at night to stargaze. Reading the stars and mapping their position was a small hobby of his.

Otoya’s bare toes squished the moist sand as he walked. The dry, loose sand was annoying to walk in so Otoya walked the shoreline. The waves washed over his feet every so often, cleaning them free of any sand. It was refreshing but he did miss his boots.

The sun must be climbing in the sky behind him in the clouds, providing minimal heat to his back. The cloud cover was too thick to actually see the sun but Otoya knew it was there. His black vest was absorbing as much as it could to keep him warm. A cool wind was blowing from the sea.

Finding the exact spot was a bit more difficult than Otoya first thought. He didn’t remember too much about the geography of the beach when he first woke up. What he remembered the most was the pain in his leg and… Tokiya.

He had walked quite a distance by now. When Reiji was helping him, it didn’t feel like they had walked very far. The redhead was trying to follow the tracks they had made in the sand, or what was left of them anyways. Most of the path had blown over or gotten washed away. Some dips in the sand looked unnatural so Otoya trusted his gut and followed those. Camp disappeared from view behind him.

He tried to avoid the seaweed sprawled across the beach when he could. He often walked right into the largest patches when his attention was on the water instead. Part of the reason he had marched out here was due to searching for any items that had washed up with him. But a larger part was some hope that he would find Tokiya here. The water, however, provided no clues.

He did catch sight of something black in the sand. As he approached, he recognized the items as a pair of boots. So his trek wasn’t for naught after all.

They had to be his, right? Flipping on over, he traced his initials on the heel of the boot. He had carved the letters into the leather himself. His hand went to his waist, where his own knife was. He had forgotten about it until now. Even when Ren used his own blade earlier, he thought of party tricks. It had been a gift from Reiji, as all the sailors who worked under him got one. It was even engraved with Otoya’s name, giving it a personal touch.

Foolish, Otoya thought to himself, how foolish could he be. He needed to get serious about this.

Could this have been where he first washed up? This section of the beach looked like all the others; light sand and patches of seaweed. He had bled on the sand initially, right? Otoya didn’t see any stains of blood on the ground so perhaps that had been washed away too.

He slipped into the boots. Otoya could feel the tiny grains of sand grinding against the sole and his heel as he took some steps. The boots were waterlogged like everything else on this goddamned island but they were better than having to worry about slicing his feet open on a sharp piece of coral or rock.

The wind was starting to pick up. It made him shiver. This had to be where he washed up but other than his boots, there wasn’t anything else. No point lingering any further and wasting time.

Even so. Otoya cupped his mouth with his hands and faced the sea. He screamed Tokiya’s name.

The wind threw it back in his face.

He waited. For a sign, anything that he had possibly been heard. For all he knew, he could have been talking to an empty ocean. But he had to say it. He screamed the next words as loud as he could.

“Thank you.”

Otoya returned the way he came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am 99% sure I wrote the whole starting fire thing from Minecraft logic. Flint and steel makes a lighter therefore it equals fire. ... Right!? Though Minecraft logic is what helped me to pass a class that involved geology. I nearly got into an argument with this one girl cause she said that clay wasn't a sedimentary type of rock and I was like hold up. It forms at the bottom of rivers due to plant and animal decay that builds up over time therefore it was a sedimentary rock. Clay only spawns at the bottom of rivers in Minecraft : )
> 
> See you Monday!!


	6. Calcium Carbonate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're motoring along here. I may want to speed it up cause we're only on page 24/95 at the end of this chapter. I don't want to drag this out for months lol. I don't think anyone would have a problem with that...??
> 
> Made on ~04/2018.

Otoya made it back to camp around what could only be assumed as midday. The sun, a faint orb in the morning, now completely hidden between black clouds. It could have easily been mid afternoon.

The sailor looked up at the darkened sky. He had looked up many a time since he arrived on this island. Troubling weather was on the way. Taking his eyes off the skies, Otoya looked inward, towards the centre of the island for the first time. The topography soared into the sky, forming a mountain. If it was going to storm, perhaps they should head inland.

Ren wasn’t by the extinguished fire when Otoya walked up. He didn’t appear to be anywhere within view. The rocks and shells Otoya had seen before leaving this morning where also gone.

Otoya hesitated. Should he stay here? Or, perhaps the other two had already went into the bush. But wouldn’t they wait for him? He came from the west so had Ren joined up with Reiji past on the other side of camp?

He shuffled in place, taking some steps in uncertainty. His head was on a constant swivel in case Reiji or Ren popped out from anywhere. After waiting a few minutes with nothing, his ears picked up on a distant roar. It wasn’t from any beast on the island, but instead coming from the heavens.

He heard thunder. He couldn’t stay on this open beach.

Otoya made his decision. His legs started to move, faster than they have in a while. He ran east, kicking up sand behind him. He wanted to stay within view of the camp but also try to see down the beach to the east. The shoreline curved inward, out of view. Otoya had to run around the bend himself until he was able to see another stretch of beach.

The waterfront was a mess. This must have been where the majority of the hull ended up. Debris littered the beach. Otoya had thought the scattered boards and the like that he had previously seen were many. 

The debris caught his eye, but also the steep cliffs. Bare of any vegetation, they were a menacing cut off of the land. The lack of any green immediately looked out of place. The last thing caused Otoya’s eyes to grow wide. A piece of the hull seemed to have survived mainly intact.

There were no main masts, foremasts, ratlines, sails, or cannons. No familiar busy scurry on the main deck. No one at the helm. This was a broken ship, tilted forty five degrees into the sand. But it stood. Its hull ripped open to expose the inner workings. There was no quick patch job here. This ship wasn’t going anywhere. This island was its tomb.

However, even in death, it was serving a purpose. It had a roof and walls. It seemed more likely to shelter Otoya during a tropical storm than a few stacked boards on an open beach. However once again, it seemed that Otoya was three steps behind his fellow sailors.

Blond hair was visible moving quickly within the ship. Otoya headed towards the split.

Ren’s acknowledgement of “Ikki, you’re back” was drowned out by Reiji’s orders of “Otoyan, help me with this.” No time to stop and chat, it seemed. Otoya wasn’t sure if it was ocean spray or the light falling of rain on his face.

His captain was frantically trying to bury a reasonably intact lidless barrel in the sand. Not fully, but roughly halfway. He was in part trying to scoop out sand from below and in part trying to jam the barrel down further. Otoya settled for scooping while Reiji did the jamming.

It was becoming clearer by the minute that it wasn’t sea spray misting on his face.

“That should be good.” Reiji scanned the half buried barrel. His hair flopped down into his face, weighed down by sweat and sand. It made Otoya a tad thankful for his own short hair, which was also a mess but wasn’t in his face. Ren fared worse, having the longest hair of the three. It was tied back for the most part but some bangs had evaded the ponytail.

The unexpected activity made Otoya’s heart race, the sweat was building up on the back of his neck. He looked up at his captain, ready for the next orders. Looking to Reiji to lead provided some sense of comfort. It was familiar to Otoya.

The thunder ran out again, closer. The storm was nearing the island, the horizon was blurring in the distance. Reiji ordered all of them inside. Just in time too, the rain began to pour.

There was no time to pull together a makeshift door or even something just to block the rain from getting inside. The only thing the three could do to avoid getting completely soaked was travel further inside the shipwreck.

The ship wasn’t split evenly. The hole was closer to the bowsprit than the rudder. The wreck was leaning down, shielding the entrance into the hull from the direct downpour. That caused the opposite side to be lifted into the air, the cargo hold inside was sloping upwards. It wasn’t completely cleared out either but most items had settled into place.

It was pitch black inside, limiting the sailor’s journey inside the ship they had once known so well. There was a small sweet spot where most of the rain didn’t reach them and where they could still recognize each other’s faces.

“This is cozy, isn’t it?” Reiji’s humour was always a little skewed. Otoya had always thought that the captain was eccentric, in the best way possible.

Ren seemed to disagree. “Maybe if I was in here with some ladies. But I am not interested in cuddling with men.”

Reiji feigned injury. “What about you, Otoyan? Are you cold? Wanna huddle for warmth?” He held his arms out. Otoya was still trying to cool down from the impromptu exercise he did. The storm’s humidity made his shirt stick to his back.

Otoya liked to try to keep in shape as much as he could. Wrestling down loose sails required muscle and practice. He got reminded how he and Syo used to train together. His heart swelled in memory. He had to assure himself that Syo was definitely going to be okay. He was tough and one of Otoya’s closer friends, being around the same age.

So instead of moping, he assured his captain that he was warm enough. Reiji pouted at him.

They could hear the winds howl as the ship creaked. The waves lapped at the ship, causing a slight rocking motion. Nothing even close to the waves that rocked them when they had crashed.

Without letting the mood evaporate, Reiji questioned Ren’s ever growing pile of shells. Otoya’s curiosity was also piqued.

“It’s like a different one shows up every day!” Reiji exaggerated, throwing his hands in the air and motioned towards the sea. Then he leaned forward. “Is there anything going on that you wanna tell me?” The flirty tone was obvious.

Ren rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t answer right away. “While I don’t know what they mean, they’re pretty to look at.” He looked sideways at Otoya. “Have you gotten any?”

Otoya’s mouth ran dry. “No.” Was not getting the shells a good thing? A bad thing? Ren’s collection glittered. There was a strange amount of orange and cream coloured shells in the mix. He dry swallowed again. Having some water right now would be really nice.

Water. Tokiya gave him water before. In a pretty scallop shell. Otoya strained to remember. What happened to the shell? The only thing that coloured his memory was his own anger. It burned bright of a red as his own hair.

It had fallen into the shallows directly in front of their initial camp. He was sure of it. How many days ago was that? Seven? Eight? How many tides had that beach seen since then?

Otoya heard Reiji laughing in the background. It seems Ren was being teased some more about having an admirer.

Had he inadvertently rejected the shell? Did it even matter at all? Otoya felt like he was slowly being dragged down by all these questions.

Why did it matter to him? It wasn’t like he knew Tokiya personally. He only met him a handful of times. Was it due to his infatuation? Tokiya was undoubtedly attractive. But his recent life on this island was tumultuous at best. He had seen things he had never dreamed existed. Was he just overwhelmed and gotten attached to the person that saved him?

Perhaps dying had twisted his priorities if he was considering running out into a storm to find a shell that had probably gotten washed away days ago. Yeah, Otoya chalked it up to the dying.

The more Otoya tried to convince himself it meant nothing, the more his instincts were telling him to go find it. He was getting restless.

“What do you think they mean?” Otoya’s question was meant for himself but it was uttered out loud.

“The shells? Who knows.” Ren was seemingly uninterested in guessing their meaning. He busied himself with trying his hair back properly this time. That didn’t provide any relief to Otoya. Once his bangs were out of his face, Ren hummed. “Jealous?”

Otoya shook his head. He wasn’t jealous, he really wasn’t. He tried to put the shell out of his mind.

Reiji picked up the conversation again. He launched himself into a tangent about how he had to drag himself out of the sea. “I only had myself to rely on, not like you youngsters,” he says. “None of this mermaid business,” he says. “Back in my day, anyone who went over was considered dead and left behind,” he says.

That prompted Ren to make a cheeky remark of “and when was that, exactly?” Reiji barked at Ren to not sass his captain. It made Otoya laugh.

Just as the wood beneath him was starting to seem comfortable, the rain was letting up. The worst of the storm had passed. These sorts of storms don’t last long but poured heavily anyways. The rain was coming down in lonely drops when Reiji left the ship to inspect his barrel.

It collected the rainwater. The barrel was only a quarter full at best but it made Reiji grin. The water caught Otoya’s attention but didn’t hold it. His legs set him down the short path of beach before the bend. He heard Reiji call out after him and Otoya responded that he was going to be back soon, that he had to look for something.

The clouds were starting to clear, allowing the afternoon light to filter through. Otoya walked the shoreline, looking for any sign of the shell. He kicked off his boots and walked into the water. It could have gone anywhere.

He waded in the water around the bend and towards their camp. It wouldn’t be used anymore though, most likely. Still, this is where he was on that night. As he drew near, he slowed down. Otoya wouldn’t want to rush things through like he normally did and end up accidentally stepping on it.

The stormy waves had disturbed the sand, stirring it up. The clear water was dirty with the particles, making it difficult to see the bottom. Otoya had originally planned on staying knee deep but the underwater sand bank seemed to go on, offering him a gentle slope.

Otoya was bent over, shifting the sand even more with his hands. He was trying to feel for something hard but he was coming up empty.

“Come on, where is it,” he muttered under his own breath. The sea being the only listener. He was getting closer to the spot he was before, all those nights ago. Still nothing to show for his efforts but a few rocks he had pulled up hopefully.

It was gone. With every handful of sand he sifted through, that became evident. It got reclaimed by the sea. Otoya turned to face the island, his hands ruffling his hair. His uncharacteristic swearing was lost in the crashing of the waves.

“Is that where the expression comes from?”

Otoya whipped around. He was face to face with the very person he was trying to find all morning.

Tokiya was only visible from his chest up. But all Otoya needed was those eyes. His favourite colour used to be the bold blue of the sea. However, if he was asked now, he would have answered with blue based gray.

A smile paired with Tokiya’s words. He was being playful with Otoya. But Otoya only had one thing on his mind.

“I’m sorry about what I said before,” he exclaimed loudly. He had to do this now and get it off his chest. “I was, it was all starting to sink in, being stuck here. I let my feelings overwhelm me.” Otoya meant every single word that he said. “That isn’t who I normally am.”

He was nothing if not honest.

Before letting the other respond, Otoya kept going. “But, thank you. I am grateful for everything you’ve done for me.” He wouldn’t be standing here without Tokiya’s intervention. No one had asked him to revive Otoya. Or help the sailor with his leg or even give him some water. Tokiya had done that all on his own.

“There’s one more thing I have to apologize for.” Otoya took a breath. “I lost the scallop shell you gave me.” This one was hard to admit. He wanted to close his eyes and wait for Tokiya’s response.

That response was a peal of laughter. It was so light and airy. Otoya watched dumbstruck as Tokiya tried to cover his hand with one hand. Was that a good reaction? A bad one? Tokiya’s tail wagged back and forth as his body shook in his fun.

“That, that was,” the laughter grew once more, Tokiya struggled to get the words out. “That wasn’t a proper gift.”

Otoya blanched. So he was looking for nothing? It meant nothing? He was starting to feel silly so he tried to recover. “O-of course! Of course it wasn’t a proper gift.” Otoya trailed off while Tokiya managed to compose himself.

“Was that was you were looking for?” Tokiya’s question was right on the mark. Otoya’s honesty was showing on his face, his aptitude for lying wasn’t good. Tokiya smiled. “Is this because of what Masato is doing?”

“Masato…” Otoya repeated the unfamiliar name. Was that who had saved Ren? It had to be. “Is he the one giving Ren those orange shells?”

Tokiya nodded. “It’s part of an old tradition.” Tokiya lifted himself out of the water with his arms, prompting Otoya to bend down. “Masato had originally thought your friend was female.”

Otoya’s laughter was rambunctious. Not quite like the musical laughter that had graced his ears before but it was contagious. Looks like Ren’s long hair had worked against him. Otoya knew Ren’s physique was most obviously that of a male but in the dark, perchance it was easy to make a mistake.

More giggles came from in front of Otoya. “When once he found out, he still insisted on continuing.” Tokiya was so cute to Otoya. Seeing him again was going much better than Otoya had thought it would.

“Continuing what?” The shells hadn’t stopped coming, like Reiji had talked about earlier.

“The courting process.” Tokiya’s voice got unexpectedly serious.

Otoya wasn’t expecting that answer. He had thought of a lot of possible meanings but a romantic one had escaped him. He had no romantic ties himself, being seen as more of a kid than a man in most regards. Especially next to Ren, who was some years his senior. Otoya had thought the women that flocked to Ren and Reiji were pretty but he didn’t have a chance with any of them. Tokiya was nothing like those women.

He didn’t answer right away, wondering where the conversation was going. The evening light was shining strong now, illumining them both where they stood.

Tokiya caught his attention again. He had said something so quietly that Otoya couldn’t catch it. Otoya had to ask him to repeat himself.

“If,” Tokiya bit his lip, “if I brought you a red sea shell, would you accept it?”

Otoya was astonished. This was way out of his realm of expertise. He had barely kissed anyone before. The most recent experience had been that kiss with Tokiya himself. He was a sailor, he knew how to run a ship with his mates. He didn’t know the intricacies of love.

But, Tokiya made Otoya star struck. Tokiya was beautiful to Otoya. The merman was pale, with a lithe body made for swimming. The redhead couldn’t deny that the word feminine came to mind but that was of little concern.

For him to offer such a thing, he must feel something towards Otoya too. There was some kind of pull between them. Otoya wanted to see more Tokiya and that drove his answer.

“Yes.” 

His acceptance brought joy to Tokiya’s face. Anything else Tokiya wanted to say was interrupted by the sound of Otoya’s stomach. He had skipped his lunch meal due to the storm, all three of the survivors had. Otoya suspected that with the sun creeping down in the sky, that Ren was busy lighting a fire for the night. It had to be around the bend, in front of the remains of their ship. It seemed the span of beach in front of Otoya had been abandoned by them.

The pair erupted into laughter again. It was more hearty than the meal Otoya was about to have. Otoya didn’t know what he had just gotten himself into but he was keen to find out. He walked with Tokiya around the bend. They parted, Otoya grabbed his boots in the last light, and he walked off towards his new camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll stick to my posting schedule for now but I may add a chapter on Wednesday. So that would be three times a week now. I am writing other things for the meantime but I like to only handle one AU at a time. I have a number of one shots that I want to write between now and White Day so I'll be working on those. 
> 
> See you Wednesday then!!


	7. Forward Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get a better feel for the island as Otoya and Reiji set out to explore! Exploring new things is always exciting~ 
> 
> Made on ~05/2018.

He had a lot of think about that night. Otoya grinned when he saw Ren and wouldn’t tell him what was up no matter how many times he asked. 

His eyes were tired. Otoya only realized it once he settled down for the night, laying against the ship. It felt good to have them closed. Slowly blinking until he nodded off, morning came quickly.

Otoya was strong enough for Reiji to deem him fit enough for duty. Ren had things handled on the campsite. It seemed a little exploration was today’s mission. The only spaces the three of them really knew was the beachfront, and not a lot of it either. It likely circled the entire island.

It had been under two weeks since they were stranded here. They had to figure out exactly what was on this island. For all they knew, Syo and Ranmaru could be on the opposite side, alive and well.

They weren’t able to walk the entire distance at the moment, but Reiji wanted to go towards the centre, where the mountain soared. Ren assured them that he would be fine, earning some waggling eyebrows from Reiji. Otoya honestly didn’t know how their captain could stay so upbeat.

They had to return before noon. Otoya doubted they would get lost since it was only a few hours but didn’t want to take the chance. The island couldn’t be that big, surly.

“We shouldn’t go too far.” Otoya voiced his thoughts. Who knows what was lurking in that jungle. There could be something dangerous within. “What do you think?” He turned to offer his attention to Reiji.

His captain scanned the trees. “I want to see what’s in front of us. Who knows? There could be a town just beyond these trees.” Otoya seriously doubted that but anything was possible, especially on this island.

They bid a quick farewell to Ren. The duo trod up the beach, heading north. They approached the edge of the sand, where it turned into dirt. Spreading the leafy plants, Reiji eyed the plants with large green leaves and red stems before ushering Otoya forward. The plants returned to their natural position behind them. They had officially left the beach.

It was a different world off the beach. Different types of ferns and low growing shrubs were at his feet. He didn’t recognize any of them, not that he had really paid attention before. He had never dealt with such wild fauna previously. Reiji walked on and Otoya followed him.

The plants grew in height as they walked deeper. Otoya kept glancing behind him, to make sure the beach was still behind them. It was getting smaller as they progressed. Otoya could no longer hear the waves. The air got thicker as large branches fanned overhead. They provided cover but caused the humidity to skyrocket.

Otoya pulled the back of Reiji’s shirt when he thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. They both stopped.

“I’m sure it was nothing!” That didn’t help to calm Otoya’s nerves at all. But he couldn’t freak out now. He had to remain calm as Reiji offered some possibilities. “It could have been falling fruit or a small animal.”

The mention of fruit caught his attention. Fruit meant something they could eat. But the mention of animals had Otoya wary. He had spied small lizard and rodents, all prey animals. Catching them would be annoying but possible if dedicated enough. But where there was prey, there had to be predators, right? The thought of being caught unaware by a jaguar or anaconda made Otoya shiver. He focused on the fruit.

“There’s fruit?” Having fish day in and day out was shrinking Otoya’s palate. What he wouldn’t give for a thick and juicy piece of meat…

“Look up!” Reiji’s finger pointed towards the sky. Above them were coconut palms, their familiar spiny leaves providing their current canopy. Close to the stem were round brown coconuts.

The sigh was nearly enough to make Otoya drool. “One must have fallen.” Reassured and confident, the two carried on. The beach shrunk to a dash of blue behind them.

Otoya didn’t want to recklessly touch any plants. It was difficult to tell them apart. There were short ones, some with wide leaves and some with narrow leaves. Some had blossoming red flowers. Others had small white flowers. More often, none had any flowers at all.

He had to crane his neck to see the tops of the taller trees. They looked to be over five times Otoya’s own height, easy. Vines crept up their trunks, adding different shades of green to an already overly green backdrop.

“Are we walking uphill?” Reiji’s question caused Otoya to stop looking up. He turned his focus to the ground beneath him. The redhead hasn’t picked up on the slight incline with every step adding an extra smidgen of difficulty to their trek.

“I think so?” Their path had been moderately level so far. They had to evade a few fallen logs and Otoya had nearly stepped into a hole once but it was otherwise tranquil. The towering peak in the centre of the isle seemed just that much closer to Otoya now. So maybe they were starting the unknowing climb to the summit.

Time to turn back for the day. But they didn’t return empty handed.

Otoya’s arms were full of freshly fallen coconuts, courtesy of Reiji. He stumbled over the roots of the plant with red stems in the sandy edge of the beach, juggling the coconuts comically. Reiji crouched next to the plant and searched under the thick leaves. He snapped something off and held up a bunch of grapes for Otoya to see.

Sea grapes, Reiji had called them. They were small, green, and they looked juicy to Otoya. He saw that the plant expanded beyond the parts that Otoya had tripped over. It grew into a hunched over tree that was taller than Otoya. Plentiful too, Reiji collected a couple more bunches. Their noon meal just got upgraded. 

They were lucky and travelled back to their new camp site. Ren was in the water, his back to the returning pair. Otoya dumped his haul in the sand. Reiji was more careful with his grapes, setting them down on a smooth board. The curved base of the ship didn’t look as menacing as it did the day before. Otoya was feeling at home again near it.

The youngest sailor looked in Ren’s direction. Ren was shaking his head, from what he could see. Otoya saw a tail flash through the air and land in the water with a slap. It wasn’t Tokiya’s so it had to be the other one Tokiya had told him about. Were they arguing? Should he get involved? Ren might not want Otoya to get involved with his business. 

That same worry didn’t stop Reiji from wandering over. Otoya hurried after him.

“Aah, wait! Maybe we shouldn’t,” Otoya tried to call out but his captain was already next to Ren, inquiring about what was going on.

Otoya heard what could only be a hiss from Masato. This was the first time Otoya had ever seen the other. Masato was bigger than Tokiya in size, his shoulders were broad. The blues of the ocean had seemed to come alive. His dripping hair was blue, his eyes were blue, and the scales covering his tail were blue.

He could have been paler than Tokiya was but without them side by side, Otoya wasn’t sure. But Masato’s face showed displeasure and frustration. That was a range of emotions Otoya hadn’t seen from Tokiya.

“You’re being stubborn.” The merman had a deeper voice than Tokiya did, Otoya couldn’t help but compare the two.

Ren shook his head again. “You’re not listening.” Ren sounded exasperated, as if this was a common argument between the two.

“What’s this about?” Otoya hoped that Reiji was going to serve as a mediator when he stepped in. That role usually fell to Ren but he looked to have taken a side. This looked to be a tense situation and if it was personal, Otoya didn’t want to get in the middle of it. His captain had a small reputation for meddling, however.

Ren answered first. “It’s nothing.” His nonchalant response caused Masato to bristle.

“It is not nothing.” His agitation made his words sharp, tail lashing again. Masato tried to raise himself higher to make his point but was limited by the length of his arms. Ren was frowning down at him. “It’s tradition. I will not have you disrespect it or myself.”

What was Masato going on about? Otoya could only wonder. He and Reiji had walked in on the tail end of their argument. Words had already been exchanged on both sides. What had Ren said?

“They’re just shells. I would rather get to know you.” That provided Otoya some insight. So it was over Ren’s pile of sea shells? Did Masato bring him another one today?

But Masato was the one shaking his head now, his hair was swaying as he did. “No. That isn’t possible at this stage.”

“Why not?” Their back and forth exchanges left Reiji no room to try to jump in. Otoya hung back as well, letting it all play out as it will. Ren had crossed his arms in frustration.

“That’s not how it works.” To Otoya, they were both being stubborn. He was starting to get frustrated listening to them. His stomach was beginning to demand its meal with its newly added delicacies.

They were at an impasse. Reiji insisted that they all take a break and have something to eat. It seemed to diffuse the situation by breaking the tension. Masato, however, declined the invitation. Ren and Masato parted, with Masato swimming off and Ren joining Reiji and Otoya for lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No usual predators means something bigger picked them all off. If I were Otoya, I wouldn't want to wander too far...
> 
> See you Friday!


	8. Worth its Weight in Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting closer to a scene I like so Monday's update will likely have two chapters so I can get to it... I am gaming the system for my own needs.
> 
> The Leafs didn't let me down last night. I hope they keep playing well and don't miss the playoffs. (What? What do you mean I can't use these notes to have a running conversation with myself that spans across separate stories? I have never heard anything so outrageous.)
> 
> Made on ~05/2018.

Lunch was supposed to be an upbeat, exciting time where Otoya was going to show off the goodies from the island. Instead, they were a footnote of the meal. Only a “oh, by the way” sort of mention. It was warranted, of course. Ren was quiet throughout the lunch.

Their captain was trying to get him to open up by bribing him with the biggest piece of coconut that they had split. They didn’t have the same level of privacy that they had before, when they had cabins and bunks on the ship. All personal issues were out in the open.

Otoya chose to have his piece of coconut as a dessert. The inner milk was sweet and the flesh inside was soft. He didn’t think he could ever get sick of this refreshing taste. Though Reiji was getting better at grilling the fish, Otoya was still left with the aftertaste of burnt fish. The coconut was a welcome change in their diet.

“So, what was that about earlier?” Reiji’s probe was right to the point. Otoya would have liked to be more subtle, himself, if he could manage it. “What’s this about tradition?”

Now that Otoya thinks of it, Tokiya had mentioned something about a tradition too, hadn’t he?

Ren sighed. “That was,” he waved himself off. “I asked what the shells meant. Then I asked wh—“

“So what do they mean?” Reiji wasn’t going to let Ren skip over the shells, it seemed. Otoya was wrapping up with his coconut piece as he listened. He saw Reiji’s grin and Otoya had a feeling that Reiji knew exactly what they were for.

Otoya wasn’t used to seeing this side of Ren. He was acting almost shy, he kept tucking his bangs behind his ear. Did something happen between him and Masato?

“They’re for showing interest.” Which was a roundabout way of saying that Masato had an attraction to him, Otoya supposed. Was Ren purposely trying to avoid using the word “courting”? 

The blond continued with what he was saying before the interruption. “I asked why I was getting so many of them. Apparently, it’s due to a certain tradition, but it’s not one that I’ve heard of before.”

“Something unique to here then?” Otoya tried to offer his best input. To tell the truth, he had no idea what sort of tradition they could tie into. He didn’t dabble in obscure foreign traditions. 

Otoya was onto something, though. There were things that were unique to this island. There were people unique to this island. How did they get here? Why didn’t they leave? This island was gathering for the unknown.

The thought of being dead crossed Otoya’s mind again. It would make sense if this was all some kind of dream and they all really were dead.

But Otoya couldn’t deny the quickening of his heart when Tokiya had kissed him.

“So, you think he’s lying to you?” Reiji offered another look at the situation. It was pessimistic but could also be true. This was where Otoya spoke up again.

“Tokiya mentioned something similar. I didn’t think he was lying.” Otoya knew he believed things that face value, that he should doubt what he was told more. But he just couldn’t make himself change so suddenly, even under extreme circumstances, right? What did he even know about Tokiya?

Both crew members chuckled. Otoya knew himself and he didn’t think it was too funny. Was being gullible such a bad thing?

Wiping his hands on his pants, Otoya stood. The day was only half over so Otoya had lots of time. The more he thought about it, all they had was an endless amount of time on their hands. He wanted to use part of the day, at least, to talk to Tokiya.

Otoya abandoned Ren to Reiji’s teasing and opted to walk along the shoreline. He hadn’t seen Tokiya since yesterday evening. Maybe it was the energizing taste of the coconut but Otoya was perky. He was debating trying to call out into the ocean. After all, he was pretty sure he had been talking with Ren at one point and Masato had responded.

He headed south along the short bit of sandy beach before the bend to the west. The sun was shining on the water, causing Otoya’s eye to catch on every wave being reflected back at him. He was searching for flashes of purple before he realized it.

His boots kicked the sand up as he walked. He didn’t want to stray too far. Otoya turned and headed up back the beachfront, passing his crewmates to approach the shelter in the daylight. He had recovered from the initial shock of finding it so damaged that Otoya was able to examine it in more detail.

He would have to wade into the water if he wanted to circle it. It seemed the beach had a short discontinuity due to the face of the cliffs so Otoya wasn’t able to walk on dry land all the way around. The hull, though damaged, seemed sturdy enough to house them for a while yet. They were lucky to have it.

The sounds of Reiji and Ren’s conversation were muffled when Otoya stepped inside the hull. Even with the strong sunlight outside, only a few beams of light penetrated through the cracks in the wood. Those had to be made during the wreck. They provided a weak guide light to Otoya’s eyes.

He was able to see farther in once his eyes adjusted to the dim interior lighting. The slope he had felt during the rainstorm was more prominent now. Otoya carefully navigated the inside. The air was still without any breaths of wind to move it around. Surely enough, the hull was mostly empty.

Mostly. Otoya travelled in further, he had to be about midway through the ship now. He might have been able to catch where the mast descended into the cargo hold if there was more light available. However, Otoya wasn’t able to go much further. The bottom of the hull tilted upwards at an angle that Otoya didn’t want to try without a good foothold. Thankfully, it was the upward gradient that prevented the ship from being flooded in a layer of water.

Had they checked the inside for any salvageable resources? Otoya had just assumed that Reiji had, considering it was his ship. Otoya had also assumed that due to the fact that Reiji had been the first one to find the ship. His captain had been the one to find it, right?

Otoya retreated to a lower incline and went down towards the rudder. He had to sidestep most of the way as his visibility declined. The entrance to the hull was well behind him. His search revealed nothing until his foot slammed up against something hard. It caused Otoya to gasp and then groan in pain. He hunched over, clutching his leg. The sudden shooting pain up his leg was an unwelcome feeling at best.

What had he walked into? The side of the hull? No, he wasn’t walking that close to it. There had to be something on the ground. Recovering somewhat, Otoya bent down and felt forward cautiously with his hands. His hands met with a large box shaped object. He struggled to make out the definition of the object and used his hands to confirm that yes, it was a box. A big one that felt heavy. Otoya tried to shove it forward and it wouldn’t budge.

He felt along the top edge for a handle, or anything to open it. A box this heavy didn’t contain air. It most likely didn’t hold anything Otoya wanted it to, like some fresh meat for example, but surely something of value? 

As Otoya ran his fingers over the top, they traced lettering carved into the top. It had to be the name of the owner. The only distinctive letter Otoya was able to make out was the letter “R.” It was carved intricately, his fingertips ran along the grooves of the large letter. Then, his fingers found what could only have been a lid, and pried open the box.

Otoya’s face was tinted with the glow of gold. If he shifted slightly to the left, the scantest amount of light was able to mirror itself off the face of the coins. He was left gaping. What were all these coins doing here? As far as Otoya knew, this mission they undertook was merely a reconnaissance mission. And not to mention, he had lived and worked alongside the entire crew. By no means were any of them this well off.

The possibility of it being his captain’s came to mind. After all, he did own a ship and had more capital than any of them. But there was more than one person aboard whose name started with an R. Otoya didn’t want to make any assumptions, especially since their line of work didn’t pay particularly well.

Otoya got reminded of the few times he had seen any large amounts of gold. He had only caught glimpses after completing some unsavoury types of work. A man could eat or a man could be honest.

The redhead closed the box harder than he meant to. The noise echoed in the empty space. Did the others know it was here? It served them no purpose now, stuck on this island. He would leave it here, for now.

Otoya was greeted by Reiji right as he exited the hull. Apparently, Otoya had groaned louder than he thought he did when he ran into the box. His captain informed Otoya to try to be quieter during his “private time,” as he called it. The implication caused Otoya to break out into a sputter, trying to clear up the misinformation. He never mentions the box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of names that start with R. Ren, Reiji, Ranmaru... Who is the most suspicious?
> 
> I think that with this chapter, the story starts to slip into dangerous territory. I want to give a fair warning that there will be explicit and disturbing themes ahead. I'll tag them when it comes into the story. Some of the groundwork has already been laid for that but a new character will come into the story soon that'll just make a complete mess of everything.
> 
> See you Monday!


	9. Starting Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otoya is starting to ask some more questions and we learn a bit about Otoya's backstory! Something I tried to do for this story was to reference the canon dynamics. I mean this like, Otoya and Reiji have a kouhai/senpai relationship both in canon and here, as Reiji is Otoya's captain. I don't have any ages either but the characters are generally aged up. Like I can see Otoya being in his early twenties. Reiji would be like forty. It's not really important to have their ages stated but it may be easier to picture. Don't ask about Masa or Toki's age cause they're whack.
> 
> I am going to upload another chapter right after this so!!
> 
> Made on ~05/2018.

Tokiya doesn’t reappear until the next evening. He called out to Otoya from the shallows. For once, his eyes were on the sky instead of the sea. The sailor had been taking some time to relax in the evening, he enjoyed watching the sky change colours no matter where he was. It was after their small evening meal so Otoya had nothing but time on his hands before sleeping. He was sitting on a piece of driftwood near the water, the tide was nearly high enough to tickle his toes.

The fading light made Tokiya’s deep purples darken considerably. His skin seemed to glow in contrast to the near black scales. But what stood out was a bright red scallop shell that the merman held in his hands. It was a direct match to Otoya’s own hair.

“Do you like it?” Tokiya’s words were bashful but he didn’t take his eyes off Otoya’s own. Otoya got the feeling that the other was getting more confident in their interactions. He, however, was still left taken aback in Tokiya’s existence.

The rough backing on the shell had bright hues of red, which blended down into solid browns towards the edges. The inner part of the shell was a smooth pearl colour. It couldn’t hold a candle to the shell Otoya had searched for in vain before.

“It’s pretty.” Otoya was honest, as always. He held out his hand to accept it when Tokiya passed it to him. It was smaller than the span of his hand but he could cup it comfortably. He felt the porous backside of the shell when he spoke again. “Thank you.”

Tokiya give the impression that he wanted to say something but held himself back. Otoya took the opportunity to try to find out more information on the exact type of tradition that the shells were a part of.

“What tradition do they fit into?” Once again, nothing with seashells came to mind. Back on the mainland, Otoya knew a traditional courtship there involved trinkets, flowers, and other gifts. Where they purely a stand in for those objects? That brought other questions to mind of how Tokiya knew to use the shells as a stand in. Were there other humans here before?

Tokiya was a mystery and Otoya wasn’t letting him leave without getting some answers this time.

Otoya waited for a response. Tokiya seemed to be unsure of how exactly he wanted to explain it, if his shifting eyes were any indication. Was it really that big of a secret?

“I can’t say. Not yet.” Tokiya tried to offer a small smile as a consolation prize but Otoya’s frown remained present. Since he foresaw the next question out of Otoya’s mouth would be some version of “why not?” he continued. “It’s also part of the tradition.”

This was starting to sound familiar to Otoya as he recalled what the other merman had said to Ren the day before. Unlike Masato though, Tokiya’s face was soft. His eyes were pleading with Otoya’s own to try to understand.

No sense to linger on this topic if Tokiya was being so adamant on being tight-lipped about it. Perhaps those lips would loosen with time. Otoya caught himself staring and turned his head. As much as he wanted answers, Tokiya could make a compelling case using only his eyes.

The sailor proposed that they meet at this time every day. That way, they would have a reliable way to see each other and talk among themselves. Tokiya agreed, seeming to brighten up at the prospect of spending more time with Otoya. After that was decided, they parted ways for the evening.

The two would meet to talk about every topic under the sun in the coming days. It was Otoya who did most of the talking, with Tokiya listening to his every word. He was by no means a grand storyteller but he managed to string the words together coherently enough to work. They would lay together in the sand. At first, they were mismatched in their distance, with Otoya on the shore and Tokiya remaining in the water. As they got closer, the distance shortened until they were laying side by side.

Otoya spoke of the world he came from, the world beyond the island. He spoke of how lively it was, never having a dull moment when he was with his crewmates. He spun tales of how energetic his life had become since he joined Reiji’s ship. Then Tokiya inquired about his life before and the redhead fell silent.

“I didn’t mean… I’m sorry.” Tokiya was quick to apologize. Otoya’s sudden sullen mood was enough of an indication that he might have overstepped. 

But Otoya only shook his head and said he was fine, that it was fine that Tokiya had asked. He explained how he never knew his father. His mother didn’t speak of him. “I spent my childhood with my mother. It was hard growing up but we managed.”

Otoya omitted some parts of his younger days. Like how when he was still a boy, his mother had disappeared for over a year. She had returned out of the blue one day but was different. Otoya remembered his mother as an energetic woman who always had a smile on her face. But after that year, her energy was gone. Otoya had done what he could but she left him again not long after. She always returned, more drained than before. Until one day, she never came back. Without any guidance from there on out, he was on his own.

After meeting with Tokiya that night, he reflected on his past before falling asleep. No one was spared from death. Otoya realized he was lucky to have been picked up by various ships until he met Ranmaru. The two of them stuck together after Ranmaru’s former captain went missing, presumed dead. Then, they had met Reiji. He had been a godsend to Otoya. The older man warmed right up to Otoya, treating him like a son. Reiji had taken Otoya right under his wing, teaching him about anything Otoya asked about. There was no doubt that Otoya wouldn't be where he was today if it wasn't for Reiji.

He recounted the hardships of his crewmates. Sometimes such secrets were spoken mundanely in the light of day, and sometimes they could only be whispered through tears late at night. Such was the case for Syo. Otoya still remembered how Syo had trusted him with the memory of his brother’s death when Otoya had happened to catch him crying. The redhead was shocked because after all, Syo was always boasting about how manly and cool he was. Holding him through his sobbing gave Otoya a new perspective on manliness.

Otoya had to wipe his eyes a few times before falling asleep that evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignore this entire ending note, it's just me ranting about hockey. The next ending note will be better I swear.
> 
> Okay so. The Leafs. They are definitely not making the playoffs if they can't manage to score more than TWICE on a goalie who has NEVER played in an NHL game before. I don't even understand how the offensive line could have broken down so badly. Like guys. What even. It is very obvious that there is a disconnect in the team. Switch up some lines, maybe? Do something at this point. Anything. My god. 
> 
> On the other hand, it makes for a really nice story for the other team. Both their starter goalie and backup goalie got injured so they had to call this random guy up for an entire period and manage to get a win by three entire goals. It's like a perfectly written story.
> 
> They're still talking about it on TV I am gunna screeeeeeeeam. I have absolutely nothing against the guy and it's amazing what he did but why was it against the Leeeeeeafs


	10. Masculine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite chapters in the entire story. I went with a different sort of style for it and I still like how it came out, even after nearly two years. 
> 
> Made on ~05/2018.

When the evenings rolled around, Otoya found himself looking forward to his nightly talks with Tokiya. It seemed the other could never be satisfied on hearing about the world Otoya had some from. Tokiya also seemed to have an endless supply of red shells, as he provided Otoya with one every night that they met.

Tonight was about telling jokes and happy stories about the people Otoya knew. He made himself break out laughing countless times already and the sun hadn’t even set yet. Tokiya didn’t have the same full body laugh that Otoya did. Instead, he brought one of his hands up to try to cover his mouth and his eyes closed naturally when he laughed. It made him look beautiful and composed compared to Otoya throwing his head back and bursting out with a wide smile.

Otoya was sharing stories about Ren that night. He admitted that he looked up to him, as both a sailor and a man. But he just didn’t have the same luck when it came to romance. Otoya lamented on his lack of a quick tongue when talking to ladies was involved.

He paused when he noticed Tokiya’s giggles ended. He had gotten used to them providing background music to his stories and the air was quiet now between them. Was his story of Ren once providing, albeit accidentally, a rose to a lady in front of another woman he had previously flirted with not good enough? That night had left Ren with two red hand marks imprinted on his face, one glass of water soaking his shirt, and zero dates for the night. Otoya thought it was pretty funny, himself.

“Have you loved a woman before, Otoya?” Tokiya’s use of his name made him blink. They were the only two here so Tokiya shouldn’t have to use Otoya’s name to get his attention. The question made him think of his mother briefly. However, he knew that wasn’t the type of love Tokiya meant.

He shook his head slowly. It was true that Otoya had never had any sort of romantic relationship with a woman before. He didn’t even have female friends. The sailor wasn’t sure if he should count Haruka as a friend or not, considering she came to Reiji on business. They had only talked a few times before but they did get along. Otoya decided that he was friends with Haruka. It had no precedence here, however.

“Why do you ask?” Otoya didn’t understand what Tokiya was trying to say. And the other man didn’t reveal his thoughts so easily.

As they lay together, Otoya was close enough to see Tokiya’s features even in the fading light of day. His mouth was pressed together and he wasn’t looking at Otoya. When Tokiya’s mouth moved, Otoya watched him form the words.

“Can you love me?” 

Otoya still didn’t piece together what Tokiya was asking him, between the lines. That was evident in the way Otoya furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head. “Love you?” He repeated the words back at Tokiya.

Can you love me the way I am?

Tokiya bit his lip in frustration. Otoya followed the movement. He watched as Tokiya reached out and grabbed one of Otoya’s hands and moved to press it against his chest. His fingers trembled against the bare skin, not being used to unexpectedly touching other people.

I can’t change this.

The warmth from Tokiya’s chest was beginning to merge with Otoya’s own. What was Otoya supposed to be feeling for? He could feel the gentle breaths Tokiya was taking. If he focused, Otoya could swear he felt the steady beat of Tokiya’s heart. It beat more reliably than his own.

If you want a woman…

Otoya held his hand there after Tokiya released it from his grip. He spread his fingers out. Tokiya’s skin was mostly dry, with patches of sand and scales. There was an undeniable amount of strength under Otoya’s fingers. He could feel the muscle gained from the constant amount of swimming. It carved away the excess fat in favour of lean muscle.

Then I can’t give you that.

This was something Otoya was used to seeing. He was constantly surrounded by men and while Tokiya was more slender, there was the unquestionable fact that he was a man. The wheels in Otoya’s head then began to turn.

Please understand.

What was Tokiya trying to say? Otoya’s hand slipped down slightly, just slightly. He didn’t shy away from a little skin ship but this was different. This was sensual. If Otoya was being honest, he had always assumed he would find a woman to start a family with. That was what was expected of someone like him, to have a woman to welcome him home.

If this isn’t what you want…

But having something expected of you and wanting it yourself are two different things. Otoya was young still and couldn’t even get a date for an evening, much less the rest of his life. But Tokiya was waiting on an answer.

Then let us never meet again.

What could he say? How was he feeling? Tokiya was still a mystery to him. A beautiful, mystical mystery. Otoya knew he was a fool to base his answer off visual beauty alone but if he had to, he knew he would surrender to Tokiya in a heartbeat.

Otoya was clumsy with words, which he knew. He would get overexcited and say things in a simple manner regardless of the situation. But he wanted to respond in kind, with the way Tokiya seemed to understand best.

You’re asking me if I can love you.

With the calloused tips of his fingers, Otoya traced the space above Tokiya’s heart. He had to let Tokiya knew that he heard him, and that he wanted to respond. He let his fingers fall over a small patch of scales and noticed a shiver pass through Tokiya.

You can’t change this.

This was who Tokiya was. Not quite fully human and explicitly male. Otoya couldn’t change this. Tokiya couldn’t either. But the abnormal had become normal on this island. Otoya was never bothered by Tokiya’s tail.

You’re a man.

Otoya wanted to feel the texture of the tail. He lifted his hand from Tokiya’s chest and allowed it to hover over his tail, over what would have been his mid-thigh. After pausing for a few seconds, Otoya lowered his hand. If Tokiya had a reaction, he hid it well.

I don’t want a woman.

The scales were tightly knit together, giving a smooth impression. They linked together like armour. Otoya was still lost in that deep plum colour that suited Tokiya so well. It didn’t suit his own tanned skin, which seemed pale in contrast to the dark scales. Otoya was comfortable.

I understand now.

Otoya made a noise in realization. It was a small “oh” under his breath. He was charmed by Tokiya from the first moment he had laid eyes on him. Otoya knew that himself but an infatuation shouldn’t cause such a pain in his heart. Tokiya perked up at Otoya’s sound, his gray eyes meeting Otoya’s red ones.

That this is what I want.

Instead of using words, Otoya used his actions. He faced Tokiya squarely, removing his hand from the other’s tail. Otoya had to be straightforward in this moment. He swallowed and lifted his hand to Tokiya’s face to let his fingers run along his jawline. Tokiya was still, watching Otoya.

So let us never part again.

Otoya leaned forward to initiate a kiss. His lips were mismatched on Tokiya’s own, showing his lack of experience. He was forced to draw back to line up properly before bringing their lips together again. Otoya’s hand remained loose on the side of Tokiya’s face, unsure of where to put it.

He heard Tokiya hum and push back into the kiss. Was he being clear enough? Was Tokiya understanding him? Otoya was trying to think on the fly of what to do next when he felt pressure on his shoulders, pushing him down.

The light shove came accompanied with the sound of laughter from Tokiya. It caused Otoya to owlishly blink upwards at him. Otoya’s heart picked up when he realized that Tokiya wanted to take the lead. He had no objections since Tokiya seemed to have more of an idea than Otoya about where to go from here.

They had missed the sunset that evening. They were too focused on figuring out the boundaries of the other. Otoya had noticed it before but Tokiya enjoyed it when his patches of scales on his torso were rubbed. Tokiya came to learn that Otoya tried to contain his moans when his ears were licked.

“Don’t hold back.” Tokiya’s whisper was much, much too hot in Otoya’s ear. He couldn’t help but whine as he felt a tongue trace up his ear. The thought of being too loud that they were overheard embarrassed Otoya to no end. The irony of being stuck on an island with so few people came to him in that moment. Even if they were completely alone, Otoya knew he would still be embarrassed.

Tokiya seemed to relish in getting Otoya worked up. He had gotten up on top of Otoya, putting their chests together and using his arms to hold Otoya below him. That left Otoya’s legs free and Tokiya’s tail was alongside Otoya’s legs, out of the way.

It was making Otoya’s head spin. He knew his face was flushed and hoped Tokiya couldn’t tell. With the way Tokiya was staring at him that hope was for naught. He had no idea that Tokiya could be so forward when it didn’t seem like it would be in his nature.

The sand beneath Otoya was comfortable at first but Tokiya was starting to feel heavy on top of him. Otoya shifted and tried to wiggle up. He didn’t get very far before Tokiya captured his mouth once more. It caused the redhead to relax and open his mouth, feeling Tokiya’s tongue. 

He let his eyes close and allowed himself to feel the kiss. When Otoya’s tongue met Tokiya’s, it caused a moan to come up from deep in his throat. Otoya broke the kiss to try to look away in shyness. He hadn’t meant for that to happen. He knew Tokiya had heard it too.

The twinkling of the first stars emerging caught Otoya’s eye. Was it that dark already? The stars framed Tokiya’s head due to Otoya’s viewpoint. The moon provided most of the light shining down on them as they lay together in the sand.

Otoya didn’t see the hand come up to pet his hair. It caused him to bring his attention back to Tokiya. His red hair was tussled and probably full of sand. The repetitive motion was soothing though, and helped Otoya to unwind after the heated kiss. 

He wanted to ask if Tokiya had done this before. There was no way this was his first time doing something like this. He made Otoya quiver with a few simple touches. Could Otoya just be that easy to please? That thought brought embarrassment over him again.

The weight lifted off his chest as Tokiya leaned back, giving Otoya some space to breathe. That allowed Otoya to sit up and try to brush the loose sand off him. It was probably everywhere on him, he was starting to get used to feeling of constantly having sand in his clothes.

“That was…” Otoya tried to find the words for it. He brought a hand up through his hair, tussling it up some more.

It felt like he had experienced a whirlwind of teeth, lips, and tongue. He could taste Tokiya in his mouth and he doubted that would go away anytime soon. He wondered how he tasted to Tokiya.

“Did it feel good?” Tokiya’s question was breathy, his voice lower than it normally was. It sounded incredibly attractive to Otoya and he considered pulling Tokiya in for another kiss.

Otoya exhaled shakily, still trying to calm his beating heart. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” His response was honest. His eyes were open and bright from all the attention. Otoya watched as Tokiya swelled with pride. “Have you done that before?” Otoya had to ask, even if he already knew what the answer was going to be.

Then, Tokiya shrunk beneath Otoya’s gaze. Was it wrong of him to ask? Otoya started to panic at Tokiya’s disheartened reaction. Before he could apologize, Tokiya regained his calm exterior face.  
“I have.” Those words seem clipped. Their tone prevented Otoya from pressing any more, despite any further questions he might have.

The mood of the night didn’t completely disappear from Otoya’s question. They shared a chaste kiss goodnight with the promise of meeting again tomorrow. Otoya stumbled towards the orange glow in the distance that could only be the light from their fire. The light of the moon was strong due to the fact that it was nearly full.

When he arrived, Ren greeted him alone. Otoya inquired on the whereabouts of their captain and Ren told him that Reiji was already asleep. Ren extinguished the fire and they both went inside the broken ship to turn in for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otoya and Toki take an important step in this chapter. They get closer and actually acknowledge the feelings of the other. They still have a ways to go but they're going to depend on each other going forward. 
> 
> As a reminder, there are two types of creatures in this story. They could technically both be classified as "sirens" but I have drawn a line in the sand for this story, splitting them up between water sirens (mermaids) and sky sirens (like Cecil). I mentioned age in the previous chapter's starting note and the age of these creatures are especially important. The older they are, the more dangerous they are. I didn't spend too much time on Cecil (he is a minor character in this) but he is the youngest by far and essentially harmless. Toki would be the next youngest at XX years old.
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	11. In the Dead of Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to play catch up on the tags a bit but the ones I added will come into play later on too.
> 
> In Fire Emblem Heroes news, we finally got legendary Chrom. I need 11 copies of him rn. And he's blue!! Exactly what I was hoping for. I will likely wait until he shares a banner with Fjorm, since I'd love to get merges for her. I already have L!Azura and if I got L!Julia, she would just be fed to my +10 res oriented Lukas for her C skill lol.
> 
> Made on ~06/2018.

Their water was reaching a dangerously low level. It hadn’t stormed since that rain shower. How long ago was that? Reiji joked about carving lines into a rock to keep track of the days but Otoya didn’t know if he actually did it or not. They wouldn’t need to count the days if they were going to be rescued soon, right?

But without water, even if rescue was coming, the three of them wouldn’t last more than two days. They had rationed it carefully but their reserves could only last for so long.

The evening before, Otoya had brought up their water shortage to Tokiya. After all, there had to be fresh water around somewhere. Tokiya had brought it to him once. But Tokiya seemed reluctant to tell Otoya were it was. He only talked about a spring located somewhere on the island but not mentioning exactly where it was.

Tokiya only admitted the location was in the west, up north. He pleaded with Otoya not to go there, holding onto Otoya’s arm as if Otoya would try to spring there at that very moment. He told Otoya that something incredibly dangerous lived in the north of the island. A monster that wouldn’t hesitate to kill them all.

Otoya nearly didn’t believe him. But there was something in Tokiya’s eyes, wide eyes that wouldn’t dare lie. Tokiya was visibly shaken and was genuinely scared. Seeing him like this made Otoya wonder what could be living in the north of this island.

Reiji insisted that all three of them set out to find the spring. It sounded like it would take all day to walk there, not even counting the time it would take for them to get back. If they all went together, no one would have to be alone. Since Otoya shared the information that Tokiya told him, Reiji wanted to make sure that they would have each other if this monster showed up.

The three of them set off early in the morning, just as the sun was rising. Tokiya told then it would be easier to walk along the beach until they reached the south western bend, where the beach turned north. The trio learned more about the geography of their island as they walked. They passed their first landing site and walked until they passed where Otoya had washed up.

The island had long, straight stretches of beach with rounded corners. It was nearly completely surrounded with sandy beaches, except for the part where their ship lay. It was past noon when they were rounding the corner of the south western bend.

All three of them were dripping with sweat. They tried to move quickly in the open sun but it didn’t seem to be quickly enough. The sandy beach narrowed once they turned north. The group decided to take shelter in the jungle. Reiji was the fairest skinned of the group and his face was beginning to develop a bright red shade.

Once inside the jungle, Ren was quick to spot some coconut palms. They took a quick break to get refreshed before heading out. Of course, once they were under the canopy of leaves, the humidity skyrocketed.

Is this really better than walking out on the beach, Otoya thought.

Thankfully, the afternoon helped to ease the heat. Otoya’s legs ached from the walking. His feet were throbbing in his boots with every step that he took. But he didn’t want to suggest they take a break. They couldn’t. He swallowed his pain and continued on, trying not to lag behind Ren.

“Did your friend tell you how far north this spring was?” Ren’s question was tossed back over his shoulder to Otoya. Tokiya had never given him precise directions other than vague turns. To be fair, it was unlikely Tokiya had ever seen the way to the spring himself. Tokiya had only mentioned some underwater cave system that he used. The three humans definitely couldn’t take that route.

The mountain circled them while they walked. The air seemed to get a chill the further north they walked. In the distance in front of them, sharp cliffs jutted into the sky. They gave an ominous atmosphere to the otherwise friendly island environment.

Reiji gave a shout of joy from the front of their party. Otoya hurried to catch up and nearly ran into Ren in his haste. It was for the best that Ren was in front of him otherwise Otoya might have walked feet first into the spring itself.

There was a deep indent in the ground filled with clear water. There was a steep drop off at their feet, hidden among low growing bushes and ferns. Across from the spring, there was a gradient slope leading into the water. Carefully, the trio made their way to the front of the spring.

Overhanging vines fell from the large trees overhead and dipped into the water at various points. The spring itself was wide, and looked deep. All three of them could easier fit inside with room to move around.

Otoya peered into the water. The clarity provided a false sense of depth. The bottom of the spring looked no deeper than a few meters. There was no doubt it was much deeper. Deep enough to drag a person down and refuse to return them to the light of day.

Otoya stood now in front of the spring, facing south. He preferred the view of the sky without ugly cliffs ruining the view of the sunset. They made him unsettled, even at his back. He had a feeling that he shouldn’t take his eye off them.

With the sun going down however, the menacing cliffs faded into the background of the night. Their captain suggested that they camp here for the night, as they wouldn’t make it back until morning anyways. 

Otoya knelt down to the spring and dipped his fingers in it. The water was ice cold. The jungle preventing much of the sun’s warmth from reaching the water. He tried to swallow but the dryness in his throat was reaching a critical point. Cupping his hands under the water, Otoya brought the clear liquid to his mouth. Beside him, Ren and Reiji were doing the same.

It tasted delicious. Otoya drank two more mouthfuls before leaning back on his heels, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. This supply of water would serve them well and for a long time.

“It must get refilled by the run off from the mountain,” Reiji talked lowly, as if to himself. If Otoya looked closer, it was true that the spring was settled at the lowest point in this area. If what Reiji said was true, it meant it was sustainable.

Ren added his own input. “The rain would add more water directly into the spring as well.”

It all sounded good to Otoya. Having found their oasis, the aches from their day long walk start to make themselves known in Otoya’s body. He wasn’t used to sitting around an island, after all. His muscle mass was decreasing. He measured it by how loose his clothing got. His belt got a new notch in it to hold his pants up.

Less fat meant colder nights. Otoya resolved to begin a training program when they got back to camp. He could do core training and running, at the very least. There was also swimming. Once they got rescued and Reiji got another ship, Otoya would be put back to work. He needed to stay in tip top shape.

Worst of all, he couldn’t afford to get so weak that he picked up some sort of disease.

Ren found a level area that was a safe enough distance away to act as a sleeping area. The least thing Otoya would want to wake up to is having accidentally rolled into the spring. The nights were cold enough without being soaking wet. Otoya had already gone through that once and didn’t look to repeat the experience.

Otoya laid down. Ren was in the middle and Reiji was on the other side of him. They slept with enough distance between them to have a somewhat private space but close enough that they could easily call out to some another. On the ground, the bushes blocked Otoya’s view of the others.

He could tell Ren fell asleep first. He was the closest to Otoya and had a habit of lightly snoring in his sleep. Otoya closed his own eyes and waited for sleep to come.

But it didn’t.

Otoya lay there, very much awake. His body was tired but his mind was working overtime. He sat up slowly, not wanting to make any loud noises. He sighed to himself. It figures how he was so tired on the walk over but now that he actually has a chance to rest, he couldn’t.

Starting that training program now sounded like a good idea. He wouldn’t do much, he reasoned with himself. Getting to his feet, Otoya crept away from his sleeping crew mates. He headed towards the spring, wanting to make sure he knew where it was at all times to avoid accidentally walking into it.

He shivered when a particularly cold wind blew through the jungle. Otoya had come to stand in front of the spring. The wind blew ripples on the surface, making the reflection of the moon hazy. He could at least do some stretches to loosen up his tense muscles. Then, he would sleep. He needed his rest for the trek back tomorrow.

Taking some deep breaths, he swung his arms back and forth. They cut through the air silently. Otoya listened for any sort of noise but he heard nothing. It would have been serene, peaceful night but another gust of wind chilled Otoya. He hoped he hadn’t gotten sunburnt again.

Otoya continued with this stretches. He rolled his shoulders before reaching well over his head to extend his arms. He focused on the parts of his body that ached the most, mostly his lower half. His thighs, his calves, and his feet.

A figure had been watching from the shadows since the start and he decided that he didn’t want to wait anymore. Emerging from the shadows, he alerted Otoya to his presence by speaking directly to him.

“Ah, you look good enough to eat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that this character has come into the story, it won't be long before I have to change the rating. Once again, I am warning of violent and mature themes ahead. If anyone is uncomfortable with that and wants to abandon ship, no worries on my end!
> 
> Especially since this character is quite serious about what they say. Otoya really is good enough to _eat_.
> 
> See you on Friday!


	12. Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only about one chapter left of that I wrote nearly two years ago then it will be my current writing. It's amusing to think about that the first half of the story (~25k words) took me about four months to write in 2018 while the second half (~25k words too) took me 6 days in 2020. I have been thinking about these scenes in the time I wasn't writing this story, is why. Everything spilled out once I took up this story again.
> 
> Another Fire Emblem Heroes update: I was supposed to save my orbs for B!Ike's rerun this Sunday (only need 4 more copies to max him out) but my lizard brain told me to spend all my orbs on L!Chrom so I did that. I got 4 L!Chrom's, 4 L!Azura's, 2 L!Julia's, 1 L!Lyn, and 1 L!Alm in under 600 orbs. Lukas ate the L!Julia that wasn't +atk lol. The rest of the units got merged.
> 
> Made on ~06/2018.

The voice wasn’t familiar. Otoya whipped around towards the source of the voice. He paled when he saw exactly what was standing in front of him.

Whatever it was, it seemed more beast than human. It was hunched forward but Otoya could tell that at full height, this thing would tower over him. Otoya wasn’t sure where to look. It took a step forward and Otoya gasped when he saw its feet. Large, gnarled talons provided a few extra inches to its height. The feet may have been human once but they weren’t any longer. Thick feathers covered the creature’s ankles and legs. It must have had long legs to begin with.

He nearly didn’t notice the large wings on its back. They were folded in, close to its body. If they weren’t completely black, they were close to it. This type of creature was the same type that Cecil had to be. But Cecil seemed so human. Whatever this thing was, it absolutely was not.

Next, Otoya could only stare at the monster’s face. It seemed to loom over him. Otoya wasn’t sure if the curly hair was supposed to be blond. It looked silver in the moonlight. The long locks didn’t go far past his cheeks. But its eyes were distinctly green. Bright, vibrant green eyes held Otoya’s own captive.

With the wings and the halo of silver around its face, Otoya might have called it an angel.

Was this the monster? It certainly looked the part. What was Otoya supposed to do? Scream and wake up Reiji and Ren? Try to fight it off himself? Run? Otoya’s body was in fight or flight now, his heart had begun to kick it into overdrive.

“Why are you backing up?”

Had Otoya been backing up? His shaking legs acted before his mind could register what was going on. Even if Otoya stepped back, this thing took a step that easily made up the distance until its hands were close enough to reach out and hold Otoya’s face.

Its hands were cold, much too cold on Otoya’s cheeks. He felt its nails poke into his skin. He was sure his face was a mixture of terror and confusion. This confusion grew when the monster gave him a natural smile.

“You’re even cuter up close.”

Otoya’s mouth was pulled this way and that way, his cheeks rolled around in the monster’s hands. His sense of danger was disappearing rapidly. This surely couldn’t be the monster, right? Otoya had seen this body type before and Cecil was still sane.

He let his body relax. Foreign thumbs stroked along his jawline. Being confused at the strange affection was much more preferable than being terrified. Those green eyes never looked away once. Otoya wasn’t sure he ever wanted them to.

“I’ve changed my mind about the other one.” 

Otoya was starting to feel dizzy. The words weren’t quite making it to his ears. Huh? Was someone calling his name? He thought he heard it.

“I’ll be taking you with me, okay?” The hands on Otoya’s face moved down to his waist. “So don’t struggle too much, okay? I would hate to drop you.”

… Drop him…? His head was in a haze, Otoya could barely concentrate. He was almost certain he heard his name being called. It sounded so far away. Who was it…? Reiji? Ren? Or…

Tokiya?

Otoya’s eyes widened. What was he doing, pressed up against a stranger? The feather rubbed up against him, making him uncomfortable. The wind whipped around him, forcing him to narrow his eyes. It took him a second to realize the wind was from wings flapping around them.

They were so much larger than they looked. Whoever this was, they had a giant wingspan. The wings moved quicker and Otoya couldn’t feel the ground beneath his feet anymore.

Beyond the sound of the wind was the sound of splashing. A desperate sort of splashing that only came with real trouble. The sound drew Otoya’s eyes and he gasped with what he saw.

Tokiya was there, trying to drag himself out of the spring. His tail was the source of the splashing, it was frantically slapping the surface of the water. One of his arms was outstretched towards Otoya. His mouth was constantly moving, screaming Otoya’s name over and over.

The sense of fear returned to Otoya. It gripped him more tightly than whatever the hell was holding him now. Otoya started to squirm, which only tightened the grip on his waist. He didn’t let it deter him. He tried to reach out towards Tokiya, who suddenly looked so small.

The air went silent. It happened so fast that Otoya could hardly believe how quiet it was. In his peripheral, he saw those black wings beat to keep them airborne. They were flying. The island was a green blur beneath them, the tiny spring rapidly lost among the trees.

Tokiya was down there. His friends were down there. And Otoya was up here with a stranger.

Otoya’s stomach dropped as he was taken north.

To say it was a rough landing would be generous. Otoya was dropped onto a flat portion of a particularly high cliff. He yelped as his body fell against the hard rocks. The drop itself was only a few meters but Otoya got the breath knocked out of him. His right ankle throbbed. Dirt and rocks bit into his exposed skin.

He rolled to a halt, wincing. From his position on the ground, enlarged talons touched down beside him. Otoya rolled onto his back. He watched as whatever took him walked away, into an entrance into the rock.

Something flashed inside Otoya. The monster’s back was turned. He could escape. He rolled to his feet, stole a glance behind him, and scrambled forward. He only got a few steps before stopping dead.

He was standing on the edge of a cliff. Had he forgotten so easily? There was no way safely down. He could only leave if he suddenly grew wings and flew away. Below him, he could see the wave’s crash against the base of the cliff. The sound was distant, barely making it to his ears.

He was right on the edge of the island. The darkness limited his vision but he should have quite the view in the morning. Otoya turned towards the entrance into the cliff. The black mouth seemed to open up and want to swallow him whole. Surely he wasn’t expected to follow that monster in there, right?

Otoya refused to go in there. He wouldn’t. He switched between staring down at the ocean waves below and the opening in the face of the cliff. Neither was a good option.

“Hey.” Otoya tried to yell but his voice shook. “Hey!” His voice came out stronger after clearing his throat. It echoed in the dead of night.

A figure reappeared from the entrance. It was the monster that took him. Now that he was face to face with Otoya, Otoya wilted a bit.

“Take me back.” Otoya hoped he sounded firm. “I want to go back.” He couldn’t leave Tokiya like that, screaming until his voice was hoarse. He couldn’t leave his friends like that, without a word. What had taken him?

He got a frown and a single word in response. “Why?”

Otoya was taken aback. Why? That should be obvious! “You took me! I want to go back now.”

The monster only shook his head. Both of them stayed where they were. Otoya’s confidence was fading out. He couldn’t force this monster to do anything. He knew he wasn’t sharp enough to barter his way out of this. 

So he pressed further. “Let me go.” Otoya knew how to swim. He wouldn’t stay here. He took a step back and his leg buckled from under him. His ankle ached. He must have twisted it when this thing dropped him.

He wasn’t close enough to fall off but he must have been too close for comfort. Otoya never saw it move. It was suddenly before him, its long nails digging into his waist. It was much, much too close. Otoya could see all the changing shades of green in its eyes.

“It’s dangerous out here so let’s go somewhere safer.” This is exactly what Otoya didn’t want. He could feel the strength in its arms, pulling him closer. Otoya’s heart was bursting. He was terrified as he was lead into the cave.

Once he stepped inside, he couldn’t see. Otoya relied on his other senses to keep himself calm. He quickly realized that at least outside had the wind. Inside, there was nothing. His ears could only pick up his own breathing. That, and the clacking on the stone floor.

But more than his ears, his nose caught scent of something vile. It made him dig his heels in and refuse to take a single step further. It was rot. In this cave, something was decaying. The overwhelming smell filled his lungs once he focused on it. It made his stomach turn and threatened to choke him from the inside out.

Otoya’s fear got worse. “Let me go,” his words trembled, so much for sounding strong. He struggled but the arms around him tightened. “Let me out of here!” Otoya’s voice was raised in fear. Each word caused more of the bloody, stagnant air to enter his chest. He hated it. The thick air stayed on his tongue. His eyes were hot with tears that he couldn’t stop. 

Each time Otoya got a push forward, he shook his head vehemently. His legs shook as they were forced forward. The stench intensified as the pair made their way deeper in. Otoya wasn’t sure how much he could take.

They reached what must have been their destination, everything was black to Otoya. His eyes were starting to adjust. The path they walked was straight, he was sure that he could see the entrance if he turned his head around. He still wasn’t able to make much out.

The last sense he was able to use was touch. His body was pushed down. Otoya tensed, expecting more solid stone beneath him. Instead, he was mildly surprised at the soft landing. It was mostly plush, with what felt like small sticks poking into him.

He reasoned that it had to be a nest. So he was in this monster’s nest now. At least he wasn’t dead yet.

“Time to sleep.” That overly happy voice declared in was bedtime. Otoya felt it settle down beside him. Did it honestly expect him to sleep like this?

Otoya didn’t try to voice his complaints. He vowed that he wouldn’t shut his eyes either. His stomach wouldn’t calm itself. Otoya tried not to audibly gag at the overpowering smell. He would grit his teeth and stick it out until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a **very important** ending note. The next chapter will contain **rape/noncon**. I will put both scenes together in the next chapter so it can be **skipped** if anyone is uncomfortable with it. I will be uploading two chapters on Monday so if anyone has to skip the next one, they can and still have an update to read. I will **recap** the plot points from the next chapter so anyone that skipped it will still be caught up.
> 
> I wanted to give my thanks to everyone who has left comments! It's fun to see what you guys think is going to happen. I like hearing your theories and thoughts. I also wanted to thank everyone who had read this story so far! Hopefully it has been enjoyable!
> 
> See you Monday!


	13. In the Lair of the Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains **rape/noncon**. If anyone is uncomfortable, feel free to skip this chapter. I will summarize the plot points in the following chapter, which I will upload right after this one (there will be two updates today). It will take me a little bit to upload the next chapter as I need to write out a concise starting note.
> 
> Lucky number 13 lol.
> 
> Made on ~06/2018.

He must have fallen asleep at some point.

Otoya blinked away the sleep as he woke. He scrambled up, ankle throbbing. The events from last night filled his mind. His situation hadn’t changed. That was evident by the smell that assaulted his nose. Did it seem weaker or was he just getting used to it?

He was alone. Whatever took him was nowhere to be seen. There was enough light coming through to confirm Otoya’s suspicions that he was sitting in a nest. It was fluffy, made of feathers. Most of the feathers were dark but there were a few lighter ones mixed in.

Otherwise, the cave was barren. It seemed to end at the nest, which was encircled with rocks. Now that Otoya could physically see the path he walked last night, he saw it was much shorter than it felt. The mere thought of walking brought a dull throb to his ankle. With nowhere to go, Otoya kicked off his boot to get a better look. It was tender, red, and swollen. With his luck, he was lucky he didn’t break it.

It reminded him of a time that seemed so far away now. A time when he could afford to be clumsy and joke around. With Syo, who Otoya dearly hoped was alive somewhere. With Ranmaru, who Otoya looked up to and was still missing. With Ren, who would tussle Otoya’s hair every time he got cheeky. He desperately wanted to let Ren know that he was alright, for now. With Reiji, his trusted and dear captain.

But he was alone. Alone with that godforsaken stink. It drove any hunger away from his stomach.

The air inside the cave was beginning to heat up. The sun was out in full force, based on how much sunshine was entering. It clung to Otoya’s skin. He was starting to think that the smell would stay with him permanently, burned into him.

Fishing his boot out of the fallen feathers, Otoya gingerly put it on. The pain was manageable. He got déjà vu as his fingers traced the jagged scar on the back of his calf. The skin had barely healed but it was terribly ugly. Otoya couldn’t cover it due to ripping that pant leg off completely below the knee. Not the smartest choice, in hindsight. He had been injured and alone then too. Until he got saved.

Tokiya had saved him.

Just thinking the merman’s name made Otoya’s chest tighten. He had left him behind too. The tears began to prick at his eyes again. His last image of Tokiya was one that was seared into his brain. God, he was so stupid.

Otoya crawled to the edge of the nest and stood. Putting weight on his ankle made him wince but he should be able to walk if he leaned against the wall and hopped. That was his plan. His plan did not include, for example, his captor returning. All Otoya could think about was getting some fresh air.

As soon as he was at the mouth of the cave, he inhaled deeply. The humid breeze replaced the rank air in his lungs. Otoya simply stood there, taking in as much air as he could with every breath.

Once his head was clear, he got his first look at the landscape. The cliff was higher than he thought, but it wasn’t as high as the mountain in the centre of the island. The crag was near the shore enough that he could see the vegetation but not make out any individual bush in particular. It was a wall of green surrounded by white beaches and clear, light blue water.

Under any other circumstance, it would have been beautiful. But it served as Otoya’s prison.

He was unable to orient himself completely. The sun was climbing a cloudless sky to roughly his left so that direction must be east. In their campsite, east was to Otoya’s right. So the beach Otoya was looking out on was new territory, one they hadn’t explored before.

That served the possibility that Ranmaru or Syo might be there.

Once that thought crossed Otoya’s mind, his eyes scanned the shore wildly. He became frantic for any sign of recent human life. Pieces of wood, smoke from a fire, leaves spread unnaturally on the ground, Otoya searched for anything. There was nothing that he could find. But he refused to give up hope. He couldn’t when it was the only thing he had.

His tongue dragged over his dry lips. That was his reminder that he didn’t have access to any water. Otoya quickly became aware that he had two options. The first was to stay out in the open and get dehydrated but be potentially able to call for help. The second was to head back inside the cave, away from the sun. He would be trapped in there but he might be able to last longer without water.

“Fuck.” The word was uttered under his breath. It was uncharacteristic like of Otoya to swear, but it slipped out. 

Ultimately, he decided that option one was his best choice. He slid down the rocky entrance to sit and rest, ignoring the rough scratching down his back. He was completely exposed to the sun but he was also visible to anyone looking for him.

When his head swivelled, from looking at the scenery in front of him to the cliff he was trapped on. The rocks were limestone, formed millions of years ago and pushed by tectonic forces to where they came to rest now. Due to their lack of hardness compared to other types of rock, it was easy to mark and scratch. All it took was something of greater hardness. In the darkness of the cave, Otoya hadn’t paid enough attention to the walls that surrounded him until now.

Hundreds upon hundreds of lines covered the bare expanse of rock. They were too many of them, too uniform, to be natural. To Otoya, they’re exactly the type of mark that someone would make to count. Crawling forward, Otoya peered into the cave. The marks continued all along the walls, leading into the depths of the blackness. 

Whoever was here was here for a long, long time. 

Were they still here?

He relaxed back against the outer wall of the cave, somewhat disturbed. Otoya wasn’t sitting long before a large shadow passed over him. He snapped his head up, mouthing already opening to yell, when he recognized who the shadow belonged to. His captor had returned to his nest. The black wings created a whirlwind when they landed, blowing up dirt and dust in Otoya’s sweat soaked face. Some got in his mouth and he spat it out.

“Who are you?” The question was out of Otoya’s mouth as soon as the dirt was. This monster hadn’t hurt him, save the ankle. He had reservations about bargaining his freedom before but dammit, he had to do something. His mouth was the best weapon he had at the moment; his knife temporarily forgotten. The talons he was up against were at least double the length of his little knife.

The creature stopped to look at him. Its eyebrows shot up at Otoya’s inquiry and its mouth moved without forming words. It seemed stunned.

“I’m…” Had the question truly been that difficult? Otoya watched as its face scrunched up, as if it were trying to recall something it hadn’t heard in years. “My name was Natsuki.” The small, soft spoken words barely made it to Otoya’s ears.

Otoya blinked. Had he heard that right? “You were?”

“No, no.” Now Otoya was confused at Natsuki’s words. “I am Natsuki, I still am.” He seemed to be reassuring himself rather than Otoya. “You’re almost as cute as the first one.” Natsuki leaned towards Otoya, surveying him. “I think you’ll be able to handle it better too.”

Whatever moment of clarity Natsuki had was lost. Otoya couldn’t follow his words anymore. He had no idea what the other was talking about and he had a growing feeling that he didn’t want to know.

Otoya’s wants and Natsuki’s needs were proven to be very different.

Otoya was dragged to his feet, yelping when he had to step on his ankle. Natsuki enthusiastically lead Otoya by the arm back inside the cave. Once again, as soon as he passed the entrance, the disgusting smell crawled into his nose. He huffed, trying to get it out even though it was pointless. The humidity turned to dampness in the narrow tunnel, amplifying the smell.

He was feeling like a rag doll, given how much he was thrown about. Otoya was pulled forward into the nest. He was starting to hate the way the feathers poked at him, their initial plush sensation was lost. There were numerous other things to poke up at him too, rocks and broken eggshell. Then, Natsuki manoeuvred Otoya into his lap.

This was too close for comfort. It made his skin crawl, sitting against such a beast. Not that he had any choice once his back was touching Natsuki’s chest. Otoya was thankful that he couldn’t see the other’s eyes.

Otoya felt Natsuki’s cold hands slither onto his thighs. “Don’t touch me.” Any sort of threat in his voice was dissolved by Natsuki’s fit of giggles. “I mean it!” His shaking fingers went for the knife on his hip. It would be his only form of defense, even if it was no longer than his longest fingers. It would have to do.

The knife was knocked away easily, all too easily. It was smacked off into the darkness of the cave depths, hitting rocks as it fell. It was lost. There were little odds that Otoya would be able to scramble away to search for it and without being able to see, it was all too likely that he would cut him on it even if he found it. Losing it was another hit at his chances of making it out of here alive.

When the fingers traced the inside of his thighs, Otoya tried to scramble out of Natsuki’s lap. He barely moved an inch in Natsuki’s hold. He may not have hurt him yet but Otoya didn’t like where this was going. Trying to think quickly, Otoya tried to get Natsuki talking.

“Who was the first one you mentioned?” His voice trembled. Otoya felt the fingers go still on his thigh.

Natsuki hummed, Otoya could feel it through his chest. “He was so cute!” That wasn’t very descriptive to Otoya. “But also loud. He was always yelling at me to let him go! He sounded just like you.” Natsuki’s voice turned teasing. Otoya couldn’t stand to hear it.

“What was his name?” Otoya cursed himself for nearly stuttering.

Another hum, Natsuki seemed to be thinking. Otoya waited with baited breath for an answer. He didn’t even want to think about what would happen if Natsuki got his hands on any of his friends.

“No idea! He wouldn’t tell me. That earned him quite the punishment.”

Otoya didn’t like the sound of that. He really, really didn’t like the sound of that. Natsuki’s fingers began rubbing his thigh again, the movement caused Otoya to gasp. It was too intimate, too close to his crotch.

His next words were breathless. “Stop touching me.” He hated it. Otoya got reminded of how warped Natsuki’s body was when his nails dug into his skin through his pants. They had a point to them, unrecognizable to a human hand. 

Otoya didn’t want this nor did he ask for this. If Natsuki’s hands had stayed on his thighs, maybe he could have dealt with it. He could have reasoned with himself that it was okay because it was only his thighs over his clothing. But the hands didn’t stay on his thighs. They moved up his thighs until they got to his crotch. One hand shamelessly groped the front of Otoya’s pants, making him squirm.

“Don’t,” anything else Otoya wanted to say was lost when Natsuki squeezed his clothed cock. Otoya tried again. “Don’t,” with the same result. Natsuki seemed to be waiting for him to open his mouth.

He couldn’t take this. Otoya felt ashamed of being touched in such a way. He knew his face was completely red, red enough to rival his hair. And he hated it. So Natsuki wasn’t going to hurt him. Otoya was going to have to take a far worse humiliation.

Another rough squeeze made him squeak. Natsuki lapped it up. “You make such pretty noises. Don’t hold back, okay?” Otoya felt lips press on the back of his neck. “You’re going to be mine.”

The more Natsuki whispered in his ear, the more Otoya felt like he was losing his mind. 

Natsuki wasn’t satisfied with palming Otoya for long. One hand slipped inside his pants to touch Otoya directly. Natsuki’s fingers weren’t gentle on him either. His half hardened cock was grabbed and pumped. The sudden, raw stimulation had Otoya’s eyes wide and his back arched involuntarily. He had never felt like this before.

He heard giggles behind him again. “You like this, don’t you?” 

Otoya didn’t mean to let out such a pathetic moan when Natsuki nibbled on his ear. He could barely catch his breath. The hand on his cock would slow only to purposely speed up. It was so frustrating. He could start to smell his own arousal. It was worse than the smell of rot.

After a few minutes, Natsuki must have had enough teasing to pleasure him seriously. The tip of his cock was rubbed with Natsuki’s thumb, hard and fast. Otoya couldn’t stop his own hips from responding, bucking up to meet his touch. His cock was hard now, throbbing. His precum was starting to leak from his slit.

He felt like crying. Crying and shouting and begging Natsuki not to touch him anymore. But that would be pointless and only give Natsuki the satisfaction. Otoya endured.

He endured until Natsuki turned his head and pressed their lips together. Otoya’s mouth opened in surprise, allowing Natsuki to taste him. Then Otoya snapped.

“Stop it. Stop it! Let me go. Don’t touch me anymore, just stop!” His words were screamed against Natsuki’s mouth. They came out a garbled mess. He felt tears falling when he realized how close he was to orgasm. Otoya struggled and screamed, not caring who heard him, if anyone heard him.

The thumb on his tip pushed down harder, mashing his head. It felt unbearable. Natsuki’s other hand was pumping his shaft. 

Otoya wouldn’t cum. No, he refused. He shook as a tongue licked up his neck. He hiccuped as sobs wrecked his body. His resolve was fading away with every stroke. His hips were starting to move in time with Natsuki’s hand. He was getting so close, he could feel it.

His shaft was released, letting Otoya regain his dignity for a moment. The thumb on his slit remained. It was starting to hurt, pressing so hard on such a sensitive area. Natsuki’s now free hand came up behind Otoya. It rubbed the back of his neck before taking root in his hair.

He didn’t know what was happening until the thumb moved off the tip of his cock. It formed a fist around Otoya’s cock. The hand in his hair yanked, forcing his head back and his mouth open. Otoya couldn’t stop the moans that left his mouth once the fist stroked him. He came to fast stimulation on his cock and the sound of his own sounds being echoed back at him.

Otoya sagged into Natsuki’s hold. He could feel the drool running down his chin. His head throbbed from being snapped back. His cheeks were on fire, shame starting to set in. The tears that spilled over were hot against his heated skin.

“Enough,” Otoya begged. “No more.” His voice cracked. He wasn’t sure he could take more. 

The hands holding him retreated back to their owner, who seemed to be positively amused.

“You got so loud. I was worried that I had hurt you but you released all over my hand instead!” Natsuki was bright, bubbly. “That must have felt good.”

No, no, no. Otoya felt rage fill him at Natsuki’s words. Instead of screaming or cursing at him, all Otoya could do was try to contain his sobbing. The anger was gone as quick as it came. His hands covered his mouth, his entire body was shaking.

“Let’s do something that feels even better, okay?”

Otoya’s limp body was lifted and spun. Those hypnotic green eyes cut through his blurry vision. They made him sick to his stomach. There had been an ever present bile at the back of his throat since he had been taken. He couldn’t look at this monster.

His pants were tugged down, leaving his bottom half exposed. Otoya could only lean helplessly, knowing he had no way of stopping the other. That infuriated him most of all. What could he do? He was only human.

Nevertheless, Otoya struggled once his breathing started to even out. He formed a fist with one of his hands and put enough force behind it to send it towards Natsuki’s face. They connected with a dull smack.

Despite the fact that he had done it, he almost didn’t believe it himself that it would work. Natsuki froze. Otoya sucked in a gasping breath. Silence filled the space between them. Otoya watched as Natsuki’s face slowly changed, from the initial flinch to surprise.

“You really are just like the other one.” The words were soft, serious. “He wouldn’t stop hitting me either.” Natsuki’s voice held almost enough pity for Otoya to feel sorry for him.

But he couldn’t. Not after what he had done. Not when Otoya’s cum still hadn’t dried on Natsuki’s hand.

“So I’ll have to be careful,” Natsuki continued, his voice holding steady. “I can’t have you breaking on me as easily as he did.” The danger could barely be contained, it was dripping off every word. It sent a chill straight to Otoya’s bones.

Then the heat returned to him. It flashed through his body like fire, the sweat was forming on his legs. It was too hot, too stuffy, and too hard to breathe. The feathers on Natsuki’s legs chafed against him, sparking more heat from the friction. He would combust at this rate.

He didn’t pay attention to what Natsuki was doing until something cold and unknown rubbed against his thighs. Otoya went still. Did he want to know what that was? It seemed too small to be… He shuddered by his own thought. 

Natsuki was careful with Otoya now, holding him delicately. Otoya winced every time those nails dug in just a little too much. The claws on his hips frightened him, though not as much as Natsuki’s eyes.

So Otoya squeezed his own eyes shut. He didn’t look when he felt a wet tongue on his lips. He didn’t look when he felt his legs being spread. He didn’t look when an object, dear god he hoped it wasn’t any of Natsuki’s fingers, was pushed into him.

He closed his eyes and he thought of something else, anything else. His tearful outburst had calmed now, passed right through him. He was left dry and exhausted. But Otoya knew what was coming. Even if he never had sex himself, he had ears. Ships were cramped and walls were thin. He had been propositioned, sure, but he never accepted.

A hiss escaped him. Even if whatever was inside him was wet, drenched in Natsuki’s spit, it still hurt. Otoya was tense and unprepared. The object was pulled out and pushed back in slowly, as if Natsuki had never done this before. It burned from the inside, another reminder of the heat threatening to roast him alive.

But no, no thinking of Natsuki. Otoya wanted to think of the times before he had ever seen this island. A time where he knew where his friends were and he was safe. Not in the lap of a monster getting his ass fucked with whatever the hell it was. He wanted to think of clear, endless skies and misty mornings. He wanted to be out sailing free on his own ship one day, with Tokiya by his side and—

“Tokiya!”

Otoya gasped out the name. Pleasure filled him when the object pressed up against a certain spot. He had never felt something like that before. His vision shook when he felt it again, a squeak forced its way past his lips.

He hated it.

He was feeling good from this and he hated it.

“Is that the name of the one that wouldn’t shut up?” Natsuki’s words were dark, threatening. Otoya thought he heard an underlying about of anger behind them. But it was gone in a second, his voice going back to overflowing fluffiness. “He’s the one you bonded with, right?”

Bonded? Otoya couldn’t follow. Natsuki’s words didn’t sound as sweet now but the growing pleasure within Otoya’s body was nearly driving him mad. His didn’t mean to wrap his arms around Natsuki’s neck or pant like a dog in his ear. But he was doing it anyways, he needed the support.

Then, the object was pulled out. Otoya gasped, his ass now empty. It felt strange. He had almost gotten used to the feeling of something inside. Clawed fingers dug into his hips as they were pulled down. His thighs were already beginning to burn from the position at this point. Otoya didn’t know if it was sweat or blood dripping off him. A mixture of both was most probable.

“I’ll make you love me instead, okay? I’ll make you mine.”

Shut up, just shut up. But the words running through his mind wouldn’t come to his tongue. A high pitched screech ripped through Otoya’s throat as he was forced on something much too hot and much too large.

This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Otoya desperately wanted to try to convince his mind that he was anywhere else in this moment. His senses forced him to stay exactly where he was. The redness of his hair paled in comparison to how brightly his skin burned. With his mouth open, he was drooling on Natsuki’s shoulder. His eyes popped, it was unbelievable how much it hurt. 

Without realizing it, Otoya was clinging to Natsuki for dear life. His hips were lowered until Otoya was fully seated. Natsuki’s breathing got heavier the more Otoya took him in. With Otoya’s hips still held hostage, he was at Natsuki’s mercy. Otoya got mere seconds to adjust to being filled before Natsuki set his pace.

Gasps and incomplete words left Otoya’s mouth at a constant rate. The stretch was unbearable, it turned Otoya’s mind inside out. His lips quivered each time Natsuki’s cock was pulled out, only to let out a choked gasp when it was pushed back in. Fresh tears overflowed, doing little to stop the harsh speed.

He threw his head back when Natsuki’s focus returned to his cock. Otoya didn’t last, a few strokes and he was having his second orgasm. His cum spurted out, not quite as thick as it was before. Through his orgasm, Otoya tightened. Natsuki informed him on how good he felt.

All of his energy was gone. Otoya’s eyes rolled back in his head as his hips were pulled once more. Pathetic whines were all he could manage as he rode Natsuki. His cock rubbed between their two bodies, overstimulating it further. Otoya thought he was dying.

He was grateful when Natsuki stopped and lifted him off his lap. Otoya’s arms untangled themselves easily, sliding off limp. He thought it was over. The overwhelming heat made his head spin as Otoya slipped down, falling into the nest. He was sticky and his ass felt broken. He couldn’t even manage to wipe the tears from his face. His vision blurred as sweat dipped into his eyes.

Natsuki giggled. “Did that feel good?” He crawled over Otoya, turning him on his back. “I haven’t even filled you yet.”

With his heartbeat pounding in his ears, Otoya wasn’t sure he heard Natsuki right. He would break if Natsuki did anything else. Not that he had the strength of push him away. Otoya couldn’t stop Natsuki’s tongue from invading his mouth, he nearly gagged on it. He couldn’t stop Natsuki from rolling on back on his stomach, lifting his hips up, and fucking him in earnest. 

Natsuki didn’t stop until he put every single last drop of his cum deep in Otoya’s ass. Thankfully, Otoya had passed out before that point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter from 2018. The following chapters will be ones I wrote in 2020.


	14. Memories of the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of the last chapter includes: the monster on the island was Natsuki, who is a grotesque siren. Natsuki was shown to be confused over his identity. Otoya tries to fight him off with his knife but Natsuki knocks it away. After being abused multiple times, Otoya explores the cliff he is stuck on. The walls are covered in marks, used for counting days. The cave still stinks, evidence enough of something (someone) rotting in there. Natsuki asks Otoya if he can love him and remarked how Otoya bonded with "the other one" (Tokiya).
> 
> Those were the parts that I felt were the most important. The theme of love comes up quite a bit, huh? You will notice that the rating went up based on the last chapter. I added the 'graphic descriptions of violence' tag as Natsuki is a bit... Unstable. Now would also be a good time to think about how exactly sirens came to be.
> 
> Made on 01/24/2020.

When Otoya woke, it was dark. To say he was sore was an understatement, he was unable to move. There was dried spit on his face and dried cum on his chest. His thighs stuck together, Natsuki’s fluids were like glue. 

To top it off, the entire cave reeked like sex. Otoya was still able to pick out that underlying rotten stench if he focused on it. His stomach turned, it made a gurgling noise. Even if he wanted to throw up, Otoya couldn’t gather enough energy. It took his hazy mind some time before his eyelids closed, determining that sleep was the only thing he could do in this situation.

But something pricked at the back of his sleepy mind. His knife. He didn’t want to leave it here. It had been a gift, one of the only ones that he had left of his captain. He had to find it.

Without knowing its exact location, Otoya groped the cave floor blindly. His nails scraped against rocks and the pads of his fingers were stinging before long. He moved by flipping over constantly, searching the cave one arm’s length at a time. He felt up against the side of the nest, identifiable in the dim lighting by a dark mass of branches. The molted feathers were the only soft thing that Otoya was thankful for.

Whenever his hands closed around something thin and long, he brought it up to his face for inspection. So far, he had been fooled by rocks and bones. The bones were numerous. Picked clean, they seemed to glow in their starkness. The worst was the clumps of decaying meat, muscle, and sinew. Otoya avoided anything soft.

In a magnificent stroke of luck, as Otoya’s hand dug around the nest, he felt something cold. Something metallic. Grabbing the handle, Otoya lifted his arm clutching the knife in the air in triumph. He had his weapon back. He stood a chance. With the weapon tucked back into his belt, Otoya let himself drift off to sleep.

The next time he regained consciousness, Otoya was sure that Natsuki had used him again.

There was a fresh warmth running down his legs. Reaching between his legs, Otoya tried to feel if his ass was still intact. He felt like he was gaping open, completely ruined from Natsuki. Regardless of how he thought he felt, he wasn’t ripped by nothing sort of a miracle. When Otoya brought his fingers to his face to inspect them, they were tinged pink. His stomach cramped, making the breath halt in his throat.

He hadn’t noticed the ache in his head at first but as his eyes focused, it became more prominent. How long had it been since he had eaten? Or had anything to drink? A fear settled in him, greater than his fear of heights. It was the fear of dying here.

But what could he do? The uselessness of only being human infuriated him. Could he do nothing? The despair that built up within him, lapping at his heart, threatened to overwhelm him. Otoya’s cheeks were wet, tears moistened them at a constant rate since he was dragged into this cave. He hated how his eyes adapted so easily to the darkness because that meant that he shied away from the bright mouth of the cave, his only escape.

Fuck that.

Otoya rolled, moaning. He shimmied his pants back up, an action that nearly cost him all of the bright burst of energy brought on by his rage. His fingers dug into the dirt, nails scraping on rock, for a hold. They tore through the shattered eggshells and Otoya had no intention of trying to figure out where those came from. Focusing his waning energy on hauling himself up, his forearms shook under his weight. His thighs burned; his chest tightened. More tears. He had to force himself forward, he’d crawl if he needed to. With Natsuki gone, this could be his only chance. 

He had no one to prop him up this time. Reiji wasn’t whispering in his ear; Ren didn’t visit him. There were no words of encouragement. Otoya steeled himself once and he was forcing himself to again. He was grateful to have experienced this once with help but now he would have to go it alone.

The sound of ripping flesh filled the cave as Otoya tore his legs apart. He bit back his scream least he gives into the pain. No, he had to keep going. It would be harder to keep going if he were to stop. He couldn’t stop. One hand after the other, Otoya squirmed in the dirt. He dragged himself towards the entrance, legs kicking up rocks behind him. 

When he breached the mouth of the cave, he squinted. The sun was on its way down, the afternoon light shone on his face. It was the first light that his body got in a while and it only served to illuminate the problem that he was in. 

He was still stuck. But he would rather throw himself off this cliff and hope for the best than be in this hell for a second longer.

Using the cave wall, Otoya stood. Much like a fawn taking its first steps, his legs threatened to buckle under him. His ankle ached, from the drop and misuse. He sagged against the wall, gasping the clean, fresh air. It rooted out the stale atmosphere that claimed his lungs. It made his thoughts streamlined, converging into a one, singular thought of escape. 

A quick look over the side told him all he needed to know; he was high up. The black rocks at the base of the cliffs could only cut him once, Otoya reasoned, as opposed to Natsuki’s repeated attacks. The redhead didn’t even entertain the thought of missing them; they were too numerous for that. As long as he protected his head, he should be fine. Broken bones can be healed under the watchful eye of his friends.

He sighed, a memory washing over him. While he himself had never broken a bone, the same couldn’t be said about Syo. Taking a moment to relive the welcome distraction, it was the first good memory that Otoya had in this place. It been Otoya’s own idea, the idea of using the mast of the ship to do chin-ups. A contest a proposed, spurred on by Reiji. Syo had slipped off near the end, breaking one of his arms as he landed. 

It took weeks to heal but it did. He had kept the blond company during that time, the two growing ever closer. Otoya covered Syo’s duties and Syo helped Otoya improve at reading the clouds, to check for incoming inclement weather. Their captain still outshone the both of them put together in that department so it was all the boys could do in the morning was to rouse early and practice.

There was even a small betting pool. During the richer times, pieces of gold were up for grabs. But usually the prize was a slightly better cut of meat at dinner or first dibs on trying to charm a lady. Ranmaru would join in whenever a fat slice of meat was on the menu and it brought a smile to Otoya’s lips. He remembered how smug the older man would get if he won, which wasn’t all that often. The meat would be bloody, dripping down Ranmaru’s chin as he ate. Days which he bet and didn’t win would be filled with yelling at dinner, shouting that the winner just got lucky and that next time, he’d win.

The brief bubble of nostalgia burst when a shadow passed over him. Something large just flew above him, much larger than any kind of bird that he had ever seen. That left only one possibility. Fear seized Otoya, eyes going wide at the realization that his only chance may have been squandered away while he was lost in his own head. 

With his heart full of memories, Otoya sent up a prayer that he’d be seeing his friends soon as he launched himself over the edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There he go. I was experimenting with cliffhangers. Literally.
> 
> The next chapter is another one of my favourites.
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	15. Of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one of my favourite chapters so I snuck it out a little early. 
> 
> Sing me a song of love.
> 
> Made on 01/24/2020.

Freefalling wasn’t as bad as he thought.

It was eerily silent. Otoya was sure the wind was whipping around his ears as it bit into his eyes when he tried to open them. Yet he heard nothing. He wasn’t low enough for the crashing waves to reach him yet but their white, swirling foam was visible. He would be apart of that soon enough, maybe in mere seconds. 

The air resistance increased as his limbs splayed out in midair. It was more the force of gravity than Otoya’s own presence of mind. It was a surprise that there were still thoughts in his head the way his head snapped back after the initial jump. His bangs were pushed clear of his forehead, their usual resting place. There was a fuzziness in his head, made worse by the emptiness of his stomach which was rising by the second. If there was anything left in it, it surely would have come up now.

The shadow dove after him. Loose feathers and down left in its wake, the owner kept their wings close for a tight spiral headfirst. If they were to have any chance at catching up and grabbing the sailor, they would only have one shot at this. Arms outstretched; the newcomer collided with Otoya in the air. The captive struggled, not willing to be caught again without a fight. There was a separation of several moments, where the force of collision prompted an equal and opposite reaction, before Otoya was grabbed.

With wings unfurling and furiously pumping to gain upward lift, the pair gained altitude sluggishly. The human didn’t make it simple, kicking and swinging his limbs to throw the aerial siren off balance. The tips of wings made it to Otoya’s peripheral vision and the one-sided conflict stopped. 

The feathers weren’t the blacked ones he was used to. These were lighter, browner than charred. That alone made Otoya still. His head tipped up, curious now to see who had snatched him, quite literally, out of thin air.

“You…!” Otoya’s jaw dropped. The last person he had expected to run into again was Cecil. But he was definitely a welcome sight. The young siren’s grip squeezed Otoya’s torso as they rose through the air. The craggy cliffs were rapidly disappearing behind them as Cecil flew south. Their course took Otoya’s over the same scenery that he passed on his way there only in reverse. Soon, the redhead was able to spot the spring through the dense jungle. 

The beach was a welcome sight. It had become an expense of sand unreachable when Otoya was trapped but his feet soon touched down upon its grains again. The hot, coarse coast provided near unmatched comfort, the tiny specks on it growing larger until Otoya recognized them as his mates. In the shallows was another figure, doing energetic laps. A second figure lurked in deeper water; swimming leisurely.

Cecil gave Otoya a softer landing than Natsuki though that didn’t stop his legs from failing to support him. The siren didn’t stay around for thanks or farewell. Instead, Cecil parted ways swiftly, never even landing. 

The overwhelming joy of not only managing to get away from Natsuki but to be reunited with his crewmates made for a temporary relief of the trauma he had underwent. First was Ren, who yanked Otoya up to give him a bone crushing hug.

“You thought you were gone.” Ren gasped the words right into Otoya’s ear. He wasn’t there when Otoya was stolen, Otoya never had a chance to say a goodbye. “When I heard, I—” His sob was punctuated with another squeeze.

With his eyes closed, Otoya returned the affectionate gesture. He was unable to say much and could only cough a couple of times from the lack of oxygen and fresh water. Reiji stayed a few paces away, letting the two younger men share in the moment of bonding before adding his two cents in.

“We really thought you were a goner. When you just up and disappeared like that…” The captain shrugged. Otoya knew that Reiji tended to make jokes out of situations and was doing that in this instance but the mariner would have preferred being welcomed more warmly.

He had to keep his hands on Ren’s shoulders or he’d collapse. Otoya turned to the older man, “I didn’t disappear. I was taken.” There was a major difference in merely wandering off and being kidnapped. Making light of the situation rubbed Otoya the wrong way and the pain in his chest was beginning to come back. “I was taken! By, there’s a, the monster did it. Natsuki, he—”

Reiji interrupted Otoya with one of his boisterous laughs. “Well, well, what matters is that you’re alright. Which, might I add,” he came closer, hiding his next words by bringing a hand up to his mouth, “is a relief on my part because one of our fishy friends wouldn’t shut up about you.” 

Otoya’s anger was like a solar flare.

“I am not alright!” Dried cheeks were threatened with a fresh flood as the exclamation burst out of Otoya’s chest in a hoarse scream. His breaths came faster and faster and the mild cramps deep in his gut were amplifying. A dull throb in his head reminded him of the time he spent away from valuable resources. Not to mention the parts of him that Natsuki worked out.

With a defiant roar, Otoya turned his attention back to his captain. That was when the sun hit the sea just behind and made it sparkle, making Otoya’s eyes stray into the distance. The water was expansive, stretching far into the horizon. It was a horizon that was painted with oranges and pinks with the sun starting to set. With a light backdrop, the purple glint of scales stood out that much more.

Tokiya. He still hadn’t greeted Tokiya. Something in Otoya’s heart swelled, seeing that the merman was waiting for him. His upper body was raised out of the water with his palms down on the moist sand. His spat with Reiji forgotten as suddenly, all he could think about was pressing their foreheads together. 

A chuckle came in from Otoya’s side, it was Ren’s own. Reiji realized Otoya’s change in attitude and waved him off, nearly rolling his eyes at the prospect of being dropped. With Ren’s help, Otoya was able to limp towards the water’s edge. Once there, Otoya fell to his knees, his fall softened by the lapping tide. He was face to face with Tokiya and he didn’t think he made a very pretty picture at the moment.

No, out of the two of them, it was always Tokiya who was the prettier one. There was a strange magnetism that Otoya couldn’t shake. Even with his dry throat, sore ankle, and growling stomach, he wanted to greet Tokiya before anything else. 

A spasm within his intestines brought him groveling. It was a foreign ache that was making itself more and more known, forcing Otoya to pay attention to it. His hands were useless in massaging his belly, whatever was bothering him was nestled deep inside. The discomfort was obvious on his face and it drew Tokiya in.

The last face Otoya saw before Natsuki grabbed him was once again right in front of him. Wet, webbed hands cupped his face, raising it. “This is my fault. I should have warned you. And now you’re…” Tokiya swallowed, concern was openly expressed on his features. “I’m sorry.”

Otoya tried to shake his head, that there was no way that Tokiya was responsible for that monster’s actions but another cramp killed the action. Bare fingers dug into the sand, leaving score marks in their wake. Another attempt to speak met the same fate; cut off before Otoya could get a word out. Finally, “not your fault.” 

“Did he…?” Otoya had a funny way of knowing what Tokiya was referencing so he nodded. Fresh tears fall freely and Otoya had to press his lips together to stop a sob from escaping. A hard tug on his guts had the spit falling out of his open mouth, pulled down by gravity. “Did you get them out?”

Confusion made Otoya’s eyebrows come together. He managed to portray his bewilderment enough for Tokiya to continue.

“The eggs. Did you remove the eggs?”

It didn’t register at first. The newfound spark in Otoya’s eyes dulled when it did. There was no way, was there? It shouldn’t be possible. A groan worked its way out of Otoya’s throat, causing him jerk away from Tokiya’s hands. Fingers quickly found his face again but it served to comfort Otoya little.

Tokiya’s gaze was sympathetic, gray eyes roaming over every inch of Otoya’s face. What he was searching for, Otoya didn’t know. “If you want,” tasting the words, Tokiya spoke slowly, “I could take them out. You’ll need to take your pants off and then—”

“No.” The last time that his pants were taken off, Otoya screwed his eyes shut at the memory. He refused. He adamantly refused. Under no circumstances were his pants to be removed. It would leave him vulnerable, exposed. The bruises would be seen and Otoya shrunk. “No, no. I won’t. You can’t.” His core shook something fierce.

Tokiya’s hands travelled to Otoya’s shoulders, pulling him closer. The salty water mimicked the merman’s movements. The liquid provided buoyancy on Otoya’s battered body, lifting up and taking his own weight off of him. The redhead had half a mind of kick off his boots before slithering into the shallows.

He wasn’t led far, just deep enough for the water to come up to his chest. The salt invaded the open bites and cuts that covered Otoya’s body. The stings were continuous. Some were from crawling on the floor of the cave, from sharp rocks. Some were from Natsuki’s teeth and talons, which loved to rip into his flesh. 

With the natural rhythm of the waves and Tokiya’s warm body against his own, Otoya’s exhaustion rate shot up. His eyelids drooped, body becoming more reliant on Tokiya to stay afloat. Beneath the surface, he could feel a tail nudge his still legs, urging them to life.

“Hey…” Tokiya’s voice sounded so far away. The sun dipped further down, shying behind the horizon. As the light faded from the open sky, Otoya’s craving for sleep intensified. “Hey, stay with me.”

The pure, raw kindness in Tokiya’s words hit Otoya harder than Natsuki ever did. Being held so gently, spoken to so softly, after being abused in a cave made his bottom lip quiver. Tokiya had always been kind to him and Otoya had already pushed him away once. This time, he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.

With the strength leaving him, Otoya was pulled over the tail, causing him to straddle it. The water provided enough lift so his body weight didn’t squash it under him. Leaning forward, there was no shirt for Otoya’s hands to grab onto so he opted for Tokiya’s shoulders.

The skin and scales were so different then feathers. “Isn’t there another way?” The water hadn’t been absorbed yet, the moisture replacing the dusty darkness of the nest. “There has to be another way.” 

When he didn’t get a response, Otoya couldn’t meet Tokiya’s eyes any longer. He resigned himself by pressing his face into a scaly shoulder, grunting about how if it was the only way. It didn’t make him happy and it ignited a fresh wave of panic but the pain was building. If it was Tokiya, then was it okay? How did he know what he was doing?

“How do you know what to do?” The lazy question was slurred, asked more from the side of Otoya’s mouth than anything. While he doubted that Tokiya was a victim himself, it still didn’t answer the question. He didn’t help Tokiya push his pants down, much too exhausted for any other type of movement that wasn’t aided by the tide. 

The webbing seemed to hinder Tokiya’s fingers in a way he didn’t anticipate. His fingertips were practised but the first intrusion had Otoya flinching. “I used to do this.” When he answered, his fingers stilled.

To a dazed Otoya, the answer was perplexing. “Used to? What’ya mean?” A second brush on his behind didn’t have him jumping like before. Instead, he stretched out one of his legs are far as possible, as much as his pants would allow him. 

“When I was human.” Now that caught Otoya’s attention. It was a topic that was rarely broached by Tokiya before. Turning his head to the other side, he was able to get a better view of the other male’s face. He had a sudden, overwhelming urge to stroke along Tokiya’s jawline, right where the scales gleamed iridescent. 

Echoing back, Otoya sighed. “When you were human… What was that like?” The temptation was too great. Fingers spread, an index followed the curve from Tokiya’s ear to his chin. The proximity only served to highlight the differences between them. The growth of webbing wasn’t limited to Tokiya’s fingers but his ears as well. They resembled more like fins, spread upwards, than ears. 

He was so caught up in the examination that when the first egg was coaxed out, Otoya squeaked. The pressure was abrupt and gone just as quickly. He didn’t want to see it and told Tokiya to throw it away. The far-off splash alerted him when it was gone. When fingers didn’t retreat, Otoya prompted again. “How did you get like this?”

“Another time.” Tokiya’s fingers stretched Otoya’s rim again, searching for more. When nails scraped along a shell, he began the work of teasing it out. “This should be the last one.”

But Otoya was nothing if not persistent. “I want to know now. Please?” There were still so many questions. He knew nothing about Tokiya, really, other than what was immediately present. He didn’t know where he came from, his age, or even his last name. He didn’t know what Tokiya used to do for a living or how he became how he is now. He didn’t even know what Natsuki had talked about. Otoya knew very little about life on this island. 

While the attraction was undeniable and their previous actions still made his face flush as red as his hair, any relationship will fall flat without roots. It was nice to be able to play around in the sun but Otoya needed off this island.

His thighs gave out once the second egg was rolled out. Another splash and Otoya’s pants were providing protection again. Completely spent, it was all he could do was to match his heartbeat to Tokiya’s. They didn’t move from the shallows, its waters darkening in the low light. The only sound came from the lapping of the waves around the pair, posing as an obstacle to the ocean.

“It’s won’t serve as a very nice bedtime story.” Tokiya finally spoke, making Otoya strain his ears to listen. It was a clear warning of an unhappy tale. “It’s in the past. It doesn’t have an impact on me now.”

Otoya whined, rubbing his head against Tokiya's shoulder. He was nearly there at winning Tokiya over. “I want to know more about you.” If he just pushed a little harder, he was sure that he could break through Tokiya’s rapidly wavering resolve. The merman had practically wired his own jaw shut when Otoya asked in days prior but the two were closer now.

A sigh. “On your ship, did you ever have sailors that were designated with a special purpose?” That piqued Otoya’s interest. After a pause, Tokiya tried again. “You might be too young but among the older men of your crew?” 

Otoya thought back. If Tokiya was talking about women, then the redhead would have understood right away. But females were rarely brought aboard and any that did faced Ranmaru’s wrath. A flashback to Haruka made Otoya shrug off that memory. He thought back further. Late nights when the other men weren’t exactly quiet, jokes that leaned just a little too much into their sexual nature, and smacks on the ass that Otoya received.

A flashbulb went off in Otoya's mind.

“You were a whore?” The derogative term coming out of Otoya’s mouth made Tokiya’s expression sour. But to Otoya, there was no other real word for it. They were almost exclusively women on shore and men at sea. That was the trade off for pleasing the superstitious while also satisfying urges while on long voyages. Most weren’t picky about the gender as long as there was something to rut into.

That was how Tokiya knew how to use his fingers. Otoya could only imagine all the times that the merman had to finger himself open when he was human. Tokiya was surely a popular choice, with his slim, feminine body. His lashes brushed his cheeks and his lips were a healthy, pink. It only took a glance to confirm that Tokiya was bewitching. Anyone who heard his voice would swear by it.

Tokiya coughed. “I was.” There was a note of sadness, unusually nostalgic for his previous life. “Until I wasn’t. I expended my usefulness and was discarded.” He finished coldly and Otoya could feel the muscles tensing under him. He likely didn’t want Otoya to ask anything further but the sailor pushed on.

“Discarded?” The way Tokiya said it, there was likely only one meaning behind it.

A deep inhale was likely to calm Tokiya’s nerves. The meatiest part of his tail shook below Otoya. “It was on a simple trip. We were going to,” a shake of his head, muttering about how it didn’t matter anymore, “a virus broke out. Men were dead in days and those still unaffected were paranoid about their own safety. Anyone suspicious was rounded up.”

Otoya kept quiet. The water stirred around the pair as Tokiya’s tail began to thrash lightly. He had no idea what the other man was feeling but a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach let him know that this story had an unhappy ending. Tokiya had warned him, Otoya knew this, but still. He couldn’t help but twist his stomach into knots in hope for a better ending.

“I was one of them. But, but I, I wasn’t sick.” Vibrations in the water gave Tokiya’s trembling away. “I swore on my life. They didn’t care.” His voice pitched up and Otoya wondered if his own face had looked like this when he was with Natsuki. “They tied my legs together and threw me over. To guarantee that I couldn’t climb back aboard, they said.”

He was dumbstruck. He hadn’t heard about purges of such a nature for years. Nothing like that had occurred while Otoya was sailing. But they were common decades ago, giving him a narrower timeline on Tokiya’s past. He had nothing to say, no words of comfort would come to him. There was no question that Tokiya must have drowned, cold and alone at the bottom of the sea.

The rage was evident on Tokiya’s face. His eyes were slits and his teeth bared; lips twisted into a grimace. Their heartbeats no longer matched; the adrenaline didn’t extend to Otoya. His hands, which had come to rest on Otoya’s back, pressed down and the end of his nails were felt through Otoya’s shirt. This was a new side that the redhead hadn’t seen. This was anger and grief over an unjust death, the sorrow as deep as the ocean that consumed Tokiya’s lungs.

There was only one other place Otoya had seen this emotion before, when Ren was arguing with Masato. Though Tokiya was slimmer, rage hardened his features and squared his shoulders. He had to calm Tokiya down, the animosity was frightening.

“That’s why you saved me, wasn’t it?” Otoya levelled with Tokiya, seeming to snap him out of his memories. “Because I was drowning. You saved me.” Though he had no memory of the rescue himself, waking up with Tokiya over him was something that he would never be able to forget. “I died. You saved me.” 

Pupils returned to normal, focusing on Otoya. With his mouth parted, the logic connected in Tokiya’s mind. Though to Otoya, it was more feeling than logic. It was the same feeling that made Otoya rub their noses together in a calming gesture. Sharing the air, their breaths synced up once more.

“Sing for me?” It was surely a request that Tokiya had received many times in his past. With his stomach settled and his body getting accustomed to the salty stings, it was time to rest. The only place Otoya wanted to close his eyes are right here in Tokiya’s arms. 

But with the water sapping heat away, the pair shuffled up onto the sand. Thankfully, the winds were calm and the warmth from the sunlight lingered on the sand. They created a trench for their bodies, a tiny measure against the wind on the open shore.

Otoya gave a little laugh, a thought coming to him. “I think we skipped a few steps in your courtship tonight.”

Tokiya winked. Now that Otoya knew a little more about him, the gesture seemed natural. “I’ve never been one for tradition.”

And when Tokiya began to sing, Otoya was out in seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We find out how the mermen were created in this chapter and we also discover Toki's backstory. I left clues in previous chapters, did anyone catch them? Just in case anyone is wondering since I never mention it in this story, Masa went through something similar.
> 
> Drowning is truly an awful way to go. If Toki sank too much, the pressure would likely get him before lack of oxygen. He wouldn't go down silently either, I can picture him struggling and screaming even after his head disappears under the surface. That's human nature, right? The fight for survival? It would have been agonizing, being unable to stop the water from filling his lungs. Once again, the futility of being human catches up with someone. Tokiya died. Something brought him back in his current form. Perhaps his spark couldn't be extinguished that easily.
> 
> See you Friday!


	16. Watch as the Day Goes By

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little on the shorter side and I won't be uploading two chapters today cause the start of the week was so update heavy. Besides, I will need to upload another two chapters on Monday as one chapter is only about two paragraphs long. I am keeping it on its own cause I think it has more impact that way, which is why Monday will be a double update. I am starting to get pickier about what chapters I upload together now. I want to group similar chapters together and not get too far ahead of myself, plot wise.
> 
> Made on 01/25/2020.

Dawn woke him. A full night of rest wasn’t enough to fully repair the damage that had been done. Otoya’s body protested in the form of aches and pains, his reaction times were slower. Limping across the sand, Tokiya stayed close to shore, able to do nothing for his human. Otoya shook his dried clothing free of sand as he walked, peeling the stuck clothing off his skin.

He walked bowlegged into a familiar curve of beach. His lips smacked together as he made a beeline for their local barrel of fresh water. He practically stuck his head into it but with a waterline that was too low, reached into it to take some of the liquid into his palm. New life flowed into him and it made his inhales of breaths sharper. Reiji and Ren managed to replenish the water supply since he went missing.

Otoya wasn’t the only one awake at such an hour. Well used to waking up early, Ren milled about the splintered hull. The blond didn’t approach but rather let Otoya finish and then come over to him.

“Feels like forever since I’ve been back here.” Otoya called out. He avoided calling it home because he still had faith that they would escape. It wasn’t impossible that someone could come sailing by. That was why they always had to keep a hopeful eye on the horizon. But he has never had a problem with staring out on the shining seas. “How long was I gone?”

He took a seat with a sigh; he’d need to get some exercise before his muscles would return to normal. He was eager to put his kidnapping behind him but he needed to know what happened while he was gone.

“About a day. Maybe a half day more.” Hacking away on a coconut, it was offered to Otoya, who was nearly drooling just from the sight. He slurped the insides down in record time and gulped down a second when it was offered to him. Ren was the one to suggest reserves in the food so it wasn’t a big deal to use them to fill Otoya’s growling stomach. The milk ran down Otoya’s chin and he wiped the droplets off.

While he had no doubt Ren spoke the truth, it felt like so much longer. When he got his first good look at Ren, Otoya nearly did a double take. “Have you gotten thinner?” Ren shouldn’t have undergone such a drastic change in such a short time, something that confused Otoya. A dark bruise was visible near the base of Ren’s neck, teeth marks visible. It stood out against tan skin.

“Haven’t we all? It’s not like we’re feasting every night.” He kept his tone lighthearted, laughing at his own words. Ren was always one to dissolve fights and lift spirits, something Otoya always admired. That was one of the reasons he looked up to the older man. 

That was when Otoya got an idea. “Hey, hey, can we do like we used to? With the clouds?” It didn’t take much prompting to get Ren on board. Gazing up at the clouds at daybreak, it was easy for Otoya’s mind to drift back to when they were on the ship. The sky stretched onwards, without any masts or sails to get in the way.

“What am I going to win when I get it right?” Ren’s smooth vibe made Otoya elbow him. He wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“You mean, if you get it right.” Getting back into routine was a godsend for the redheaded mariner. It made him forget. Taking a breath, he focused on reading all the clues that were in the clouds.

They dotted across the sky in large streaks. Stripes of blue were seen through where the cloud layers were thin. Otoya quickly ruled out thunderstorms and other bad weather. The clouds that signalled those were heavy, fat, and gray. The clouds around this island had a tendency to swirl about the peak in the centre but not today. These weren’t cumulus clouds, those were his favourite, and they weren’t cirrus. That left—

“Altocumulus. It isn’t likely to rain today but it will probably be humid and hot, like always.” Ren cut into Otoya’s train of thought, beating him out by a heartbeat. The blond stole the words right out of his mouth, leaving Otoya to yell. Ren’s smug grin got Otoya sputtering good-naturedly and Ren hooked one of his arms around Otoya’s neck. “So, whatcha got for me?”

Otoya groaned, letting Ren keep a hold on him. It was a friendly wrestling match that went on for a minute or so. It was the source of laughter early in the morning, potentially one of the factors in waking Reiji. The captain lingered by the carcass of his ship, not yet making his way onto the scene.

When Otoya noticed, he gave a harsher tug to yank his head free. He stared Reiji down, feeling the tension in the air. Ren’s reward was temporarily forgotten. He waited for Reiji to make the first move, not too sure of what to do or say.

The oldest among them brushed his bangs out of his eyes. “Did I miss breakfast?” It was a neutral conversation starter, a casual one. Otoya provided not a verbal answer, but a resounding growl from the depths of his stomach. With food on their minds, all three sailors began to set up a fire for the first meal of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes like this between Otoya and Ren feel more natural to me as this story goes on. It feels more like canon. There is another scene later that also feels like this to me.
> 
> The chapter title was just a reference to passing clouds. I've spent many a hour on a summer day lounging and watching the clouds.


	17. Living Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short. I will be uploading another right after this! I made it short on purpose, so this scene stands out.
> 
> Made on 01/26/2020.

Nightmares plagued Otoya. This was worse than the ship crashing, worse than the dwindling hope of Ranmaru and Syo being found alive. It woke him up in the night with a start, sweat soaking his clothes. It was so easy for his mind to make him remember the things that Otoya never thought about before. The taste, the stretch, and the smell of Natsuki invaded his dreams.

But the worst was the pleasure.

He had been touched too much for his body to forget. When his mind ran wild at night, remembering every contour of Natsuki’s face and inch of muscle on his body, his body recalled the pleasure. Otoya woke with a shameful problem to take care of. He was careful to slip out before he woke the others. It was no easy task considering his screams from his night terrors often woke them before himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been listening to the same few dozen songs while writing this story lol and it's totally random stuff too like Lady Gaga to Theory of a Deadman and Bon Jovi to random Disney songs. Speaking of, remember the last time Toki sang for Otoya? I never mentioned what song he sang (isn't relevant at all) and I got more into describing Toki's death but like. If anyone needed a lil hint, here is what I, personally, think:
> 
> It's gunna take a lot to drag me awayyyyyyy from youuuuuuuu  
> There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever dooooooo  
> I bless the raaaaains down in Aaaaaaaaaaafricaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
> 
> Did I just completely ruin the mood of this chapter?? ... Anyways onto the next chapter


	18. Cracks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors notes were a mistake.
> 
> Made on 01/26/2020.

About a day later did the talks of building a boat really take shape. Some may think it odd that it took the survivors of the wreck roughly a dozen and a half or so days before planning their method of escape but they went down off a well-travelled shipping channel. Reiji swore by that. East of Polaris, he repeated it over and over, bringing it up whenever they talked about the possible location of the island. They were travelling along the handle of the little dipper, heading east, towards the sunrise.

Why bother to make a raft, Reiji convinced them, when they should be rescued soon anyways? It would just be a waste of time and resources. Not that they had much to do, all three could attest to that fact, but still. They should enjoy their time on their own little island, Reiji said, before they returned to their regular lives. Otoya had taken a fascination to watching the hermit crabs crawl across the beach, searching for new homes. He didn’t know what Ren did with all his personal, free time but if he had to guess, it probably involved the other merman.

Reiji also joked about the materials of the boat. “Can’t we just make a raft out of shells? We have a ton of them!” It was a joke that didn’t go over well with the creature that brought the colourful decorations to shore, made evident by multiple slaps of a tail on the surface. The smacks resounded well enough to make the message perfectly clear. The shells were to remain untouched.

Ren’s collection had grown, if that was even possible. The piles were collecting in one corner of the ship, all piled up on one another. The favourites were near the top, for easy access, while the ones that didn’t strike Ren’s fancy provided a solid base. Otoya was in awe of the dedication.

The general consensus was to tie logs together using vines. Both building materials were plentiful on the island and with their knives, it would be easy to cut. Splintered planks still washed ashore at odd intervals and the humans had taken to grabbing them whenever they saw them. The wood was struck into the sand, standing vertically. All shapes and sizes, the tall boards provided a wall of privacy. With wood not being an issue, that left only one building block left. Armed with their weapons, Otoya and Ren set out along what was becoming a path into the jungle. 

It had taken some encouraging to convince Otoya to venture into the dense foliage. He had only done it after promising Tokiya that he would return and after Ren had assured him that he would stick with him. Only after that did he agree to accompany Ren.

“I still can’t get over the heat.” Using a free hand to fan himself, Otoya moaned. Hopefully they wouldn’t be walking too far. Reiji had offered to go and let Otoya rest but Ren had insisted that the youngest sailor go with him. A chance to catch up, he had put it.

Ren led the way. He pushed through the overgrown brush, making Otoya’s path a little less treacherous. “That’s the humidity, not the heat, squirt.” The nickname made Otoya stick his tongue out at the blond behind his back.

“Whatever!” They passed beneath coconut trees, ignoring the sweet treats. Otoya lost his balance attempting to dodge a nasty tangle of roots and nearly fell to the forest floor. When he righted himself, he continued his complaining. “It’s too hot! Isn’t this a good spot to get some vines? Why do we keep going deeper?”

Shadows were everywhere. Otoya’s eyes kept playing tricks on him, making him think something was there. Realistically, even if Natsuki wanted to sneak up on him, the siren would be too large to accomplish it. His towering form and wide wingspan meant that he would have to brush up against countless types of vegetation, right?

So Otoya was safe, right?

There was no reason to tread so deep into the undergrowth. Really, the vines they need could have been found where the sand met the dirt should be of equal strength to the ones further in. It was clear Ren had a destination in mind and the terrain was beginning to get steeper.

Ren checked over his shoulder minutes later, finally stopping his march. Otoya came to halt behind him, dragging the back of his arm over his forehead. Even a simple walk had the sweat building up. The older sailor was lucky to be able to tie his hair up. “We need to talk. About the captain.” 

That caught the redhead’s attention. “What’s up?” The only thing that came to mind was getting told off for a mild act of insubordination. Sailors don’t yell at their captains. Otoya internally grimaced at the thought of getting a scolding.

“Where would you say we are?” It was a simple question and to Otoya, warranted a simple answer.

“On an island?” Did Ren think that he had hit his head or something? From the exasperated look Ren gave him, Otoya judged that it was the wrong answer.

“Yes, but where?” With his finger, Ren pointed upwards. “Where does he always say we are, where this island is?” 

Otoya gazed upwards like an idiot. All he saw were a few glimpses of the sky, a robin’s egg blue. Most of the open expanse was blocked by types of plants that Otoya couldn’t even name. But beyond the green was the blue and beyond that was the black. Ren was referring to the stars, hidden during the daytime.

He parroted what Reiji always said. “East of Polaris, along the handle of the small spoon.” This was a fact, as far as Otoya was concerned. No one could change the stars in the sky. Despite giving the right answer, Ren’s face darkened.

“What if I told you that was a lie?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've been paying attention, you may recall that I mentioned some of this important information in earlier chapters! Such as Ren's hobby of navigation and stargazing and the location of the island. Or, at least, where Reiji says the island is...
> 
> I often worry that my foreshadowing is too subtle but at the same time, that is part of my style. I don't want it to go unnoticed but I won't change to make it more obvious either. That is why I (sometimes lol) use the ending note to give a bit of insight to the reader. This chapter is designed to make you think. Otoya will have a lot of thinking to do soon.
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	19. Rock the Boat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter but it will be the only update for today! I don't want to rush through this so everyone gets a little bit more information in this chapter.
> 
> Made on 01/26/2020.

Otoya didn’t understand what Ren was saying. “A lie?” 

“I know these skies. We’re nowhere near where he says we are.” Ren said it confidently, leaving no room for error. “In fact, I’d put us in the opposite direction. This island isn’t east of Polaris. It’s to the west.”

The realization sunk in and Otoya felt a creeping cold. “Well, you know,” he stuttered, trying to place blame on neither his crewmate or captain, “there must be some other explanation. Maybe, like…” Trailing off, Otoya tried to let his hands do the talking. 

“There is none.” The chill was caught in Ren’s tone. “I’m not wrong. I’d bet on it.” 

Otoya was left wringing his hands together. The implication wasn’t good, to say the least. “But, but,” he quickly repeated the word, “why would he lie about where we are?” Not that he was trying to say that he believed Ren over Reiji but… Something nagged at him.

Ren was left shaking his head. “That’s the only thing I don’t know yet. But something isn’t right. We weren’t sailing in the right direction when we crashed.” He took a moment to think. “We were likely never on the right course.”

Pacing, the broad leaves shook when Otoya passed through them. There was something he was forgetting. Something small, numerous, and glinting. He was reminded when a golden ray of light streamed down on him and he stopped. His hands fell to his sides and his eyes dropped.

Glinting gold.

“There’s a chest full of gold pieces.” He hadn’t thought about it since he found it, put out of his mind until now. “It was in the hull though I haven’t seen it since.” The owner was still unknown.

It got Ren’s immediate attention. “Gold? When?”

There was no exact date Otoya could recall. The only way to tell time was by recalling conversations. “When we were discussing traditions and the purpose of the shells.” He had also received his first red one that night but held that detail back. It was enough for Ren to go on. “I guess it doesn’t belong to you?”

“It doesn’t. Must be Reiji’s.” Reiji. Not captain. Ren stripped the other man of his title. It made Otoya gulp. “He must have stashed it somewhere. It won’t do him any good here but if he were to get off this island then…” 

The thought of a plot made Otoya’s heart hurt. It wasn’t something he wanted to think about. 

“Look, there’s lots of vines over there. Let’s harvest them and them get back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As anyone can guess, Otoya averting his eyes to this potential problem will have consequences. But can you blame him? 
> 
> See you Friday!


	20. Heart to Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sold on the latest set in Shining Live, the White Day Promise one. I usually like to make sure I get a copy of Masa's card if I like it but I'll likely skip this set. I hope the next set is super fun and dynamic! Something like the fantasy circus set or the marine festival set. I also really liked the survival picnic set and the 2019 Halloween set!! I've written stories about the marine festival set and the 2019 Halloween set cause I liked them so much.
> 
> A set I would want to see would be a fantasy one! Like with swords and knights and dragons and stuff. I'm such a sucker for fantasy. I'd also love to see a wonderland themed set like Alice in Wonderland, or based off Lost Alice. 
> 
> Made on 01/27/2020.

Arms full of freshly cut vines, the two men stumbled back towards the beach. The direction of the sea was always an easy one to find. Just head for the salty breeze and soon enough, the vast ocean was there in welcome. The vines were whacked against a rock, freeing any trapped ants and other bugs.

The rest of the day was spent hard at work. Otoya was used to working hard but in his undernourished state, it seemed to drag on. Ren’s was to make notches in the board deemed thick enough to use. Then, Otoya would wind the vines through the holes. He was currently working on making a thick, strong rope.

The stringy vines were able to be torn apart. Torn apart and then weaved back together, the repetitive motions made Otoya’s mind wander. His hands would keep working while his mind travelled back, far back. Back to when he was younger and he’d watch his mother do these same movements. Except she made baskets and he was making a raft to save his life.

Sitting in the same, hunched over position made his muscles cramp. He didn’t realize how much time had passed until the scent of roasted fish and the fading of the day’s light made him come out of his memories. 

Dinner was uneventful and quiet. Otoya kept to himself and finished quickly. Ren didn’t try to start any friendly conversation. Reiji seemed to be in a bad mood, what with the way he flung his scraps away into the distance. Not soon enough, Otoya excused himself and wandered towards the water.

He walked the curve, heading west. The subtle splashes let him know that he wasn’t alone. A glance over at the ripples brought a smile to his lips. Abruptly changing his path, he veered towards the water. The ripples followed, coming towards the shore until Tokiya was poking his head up.

A stream of water was shot at him. It had Otoya gasping, the weak jet nailing him in his upper thigh. “Whatcha do that for?” It was a playful shot that Tokiya had squirted through his mouth. Another one got his lower stomach and Otoya let loose a yelp. “Oh, you’re on!”

He wasn’t about to lower himself into the water and mimic Tokiya’s assault. Instead, Otoya splashed up the water with his hands. The droplets flew through the air in wide arcs, missing Tokiya nearly every time. The merman was too quick and with a twist of his body, would submerge in an instant.

“No fair, no fair!” It wasn’t like Otoya minded much. He was knee deep now, didn’t even bother to roll up the singular remaining pant leg that he had left. He followed Tokiya’s underwater movements with his eyes, waiting for him to surface. “Aha!” A wave was shoved Tokiya’s way, something that didn’t do as much damage as Otoya hoped.

The battle was over as quick as it began. It got Otoya’s blood pumping and naturally graced his face with a wide smile. Wading back up the bank, he seated himself in the moist, packed sand. The spray from splash fight dampened his clothes but it was fresh relief from the sun. Tokiya dragged his body out of the water, eyes trained in on Otoya’s red ones.

He didn’t think he would ever get used to those mystical gray eyes.

Something moving further out at sea was what broke the eye contact. Looking up just in time, Otoya caught sight of the second creature that inhabited the waters around the island. Masato was low on the surface, just high enough for his eyes to be above water. To the untrained eye, he may have blended into the sea but Otoya knew better. He reminded him of a shark; he swam slowly, propelling along by a powerful tail. A blue eye was jerked in Otoya’s direction and just like that, he dove and vanished. 

It was sobering. Tokiya was the same species as him and yet, Otoya felt like they couldn’t be more different. It made the sailor thankful that it was Tokiya who had fished him out of the sea and not the other.

They sat in silence, well used to each other’s presence by now. Tonight, it was Otoya that initiated the conversation.

“I thought of my mother today.” Their last talk on Otoya’s past had Otoya neglecting to mention her except for her existence. He wasn’t ready at the time. But with Tokiya opening up to him, he had to return the favour. “She used to make baskets when she wasn’t working her other job. Watching her weave was soothing. It made her happy.” 

Tokiya stayed silent. He laid on his side, curled around Otoya’s body. The fins on his tail were twitching, swimming through the air. It let Otoya know that the other man was listening.

“But baskets didn’t sell for much. She had to turn to, to other methods to make money.” Those other methods were ones that Tokiya would have been very familiar with. But this was his mother that Otoya was talking about and he wouldn’t dare disrespect her by using the same word that he did with Tokiya. “I became a sailor when she left. It’s been my life since.” 

Talking about himself made Otoya nervous. He was a nobody in this life. Just someone who stumbled into a streak of bad luck and ended up stuck here on this island. Well, he thought as he looked at Tokiya, maybe it wasn’t all bad luck.

“I love the sea.” It came out as a breathy sigh, Otoya leaned back on his hands. His bare fingers dug into the sand, dislodging it. This island boasted an unobstructed, panoramic view of tropical paradise. “Hey, tell me what it’s like. What’s down there?”

He can’t believe that he never thought to ask the question before. Though, survival took precedence over taking in the local sights. But with a secure food and water source as well as shelter and potential escape plan in the works, survival could be put on hold. Otoya wanted to know the beauty that surrounded him. He took it for granted, being around it every day of his life.

He got a tangent in response. It made Otoya think, absentmindedly, about how this was the most he had ever heard Tokiya talk at one time. Tokiya launched into describing all of the flora and fauna on the ocean floor and in its waters. He began with the corals, all vibrantly coloured. He ticked off pinks, blues, yellows, oranges; a plethora of hues and shades. Next came the telling of all the shapes and sizes that they came in. Along with the corals were the sponges, anemones, and clams. The green of the sea was kelp and other aquatic plants. Apparently, swimming through the sea grass was something Tokiya enjoyed.

The fish were next. There was an endless variety, all boasting exquisite colours. He talked about the clownfish, the tang, the butterflyfish, and others. Using his finger, Tokiya outlined their basic shapes in the sand. Most stuck close to the reefs, their home and protectors. It would seem to Otoya that Tokiya liked the warm, shallow waters best. He even mentioned some fish cleaning his fins for him if he remained still enough, something that felt like being lightly tickled.

The ocean was jammed packed with species that after Tokiya was done describing the coral reef fish, he launched into a lecture about the other animals that filled the seas. He described starfish, rays, and urchins. Otoya hung onto every word, marvelling at all the wonders of the sea. He had no idea about some of these creatures. When Tokiya got to the eels, hidden in all the nooks and crannies in the reefs, Otoya’s eyes went wide.

There was a secret way to view the reefs, Tokiya let him know. It was a way that Tokiya loved to do on a calm day. He found a deeper part of the reef and flipped onto his back. Upside down now, he watched the reef’s inhabitants go about their day by the reflection of the waves. It acted like a mirror and gave Tokiya a different perspective.

He launched into another speech about the underwater terrain. There were flooded geysers that erupted in bursts of bubbles, ravines too deep to see the bottom of, and a vast, open ocean void of anything. Tokiya explained how the waters around this island were warm, making it a draw for sea life including himself.

“It’s alive down there. Everything is always moving and changing.” Otoya could only listen in awe. It’s a world that humans would never be able to experience so getting a rare, firsthand account was something to listen to with rapport. “I wish I could show you.” It was like Tokiya read his mind.

“I wish I could see it with you too.” He was wistful, unable to help glancing down at the difference in their lower halves. His two legs made for a decent human swimmer but would fail every time against someone as streamlined as Tokiya.

“But I hope you never get the chance to.” It twisted Otoya’s heart into knots to listen to Tokiya whisper that. It held implications. Otoya overlaid their hands together, grasping tight. It reassured them both. Their heads bowed until their noses met, the tips pushed together. 

Otoya’s earlier conversation with Ren played back in his mind. That had implications too. 

“I was talking with Ren in the morning and he thinks that the captain is up to something.” It made Otoya nervous admitting it out loud. Reiji was someone that Otoya trusted with his life, time and time again. He had no reason or evidence to think or believe that the man would steer him wrong now.

It made Tokiya alert. “What do you mean?” His grip tightened on Otoya’s hand, as if squeezing harder would protect him. His tail flip flopped, rubbing up against Otoya’s boot.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, there’s been some weird stuff going on.” The stars, the gold; which should he start with? “Like our location. The captain says we’re east of the north star but Ren says that’s wrong.”

Turning their gazes upward, the pair locked on the shining star. It was a sailor’s instinct to know where it was in the night sky so they had it within seconds. The other stars were beginning to make themselves appear but they weren’t as bright so most faded into the backdrop of the blackening evening sky. 

Otoya traced the well-known constellations with his eyes. The big and little spoon of the skies were like a giant shoutout to the north star’s location. The dippers were twisted, as always. “Ren says we’re west.” He’d have to ask Ren how the constellations should orient themselves. There was always tomorrow. “And that’s not even mentioning the gold. I found a trunk of gold in the ship. That’s the captain’s too.”

How Reiji had time to protect a chest of gold while the ship was sinking, Otoya didn’t know. Then again, Otoya was swept off the deck relatively quickly. He didn’t know how long it took the ship to sink. He didn’t even know how they went down. The thought of not being with the ship, his livelihood, in her last moments brought a weight on his heart. 

“Who do you believe?” It was the forbidden question. Otoya didn’t want to think about it, he didn’t want to play this game. Ren was a trusted friend, basically an older brother. Otoya was close to him in a different way than Reiji, his captain. But Reiji was more than that too, he was also a father figure. Thinking about it made Otoya’s head spin and he didn’t answer Tokiya’s question.

He wasn’t built for leadership. It just wasn’t in his blood. Otoya was a follower and he was happier that way. He didn’t have to make the hard choices with other people depending on him. He was simply a cog in the machine, content to float along in life. 

But that machine broke down on this island. As one of the only three survivors of the wreck, he was being forced to step up. Being caught in the middle of this conflict was pulling him apart at the seams. It made Otoya shake his head, still unable to formulate a response.

Another squeeze on his hand. Tokiya leaned forward again and Otoya met him halfway. This time, their noses were forgone for a touch of their lips. 

A goodnight kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked describing all of the ocean creatures. There are some more clues in here about what's to come! Two major ones, really. Also, Otoya is realizing just how much he doesn't know.
> 
> I am looking forward to the Monday update cause it'll be a fun time.
> 
> See you Monday!


	21. Certainty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting another chapter right after this one but this is a critical chapter for a number of reasons.
> 
> Made on 01/27/2020.

The next morning began like any other. At the crack of dawn.

Otoya yawned and used some of the fresh water to wash his face. They kept up their hygiene here, even if it didn’t seem like much. He wrestled Ren into another match to predict the weather that day. They tied as the fluffy cumulus clouds made it no contest. 

The humans ate breakfast, fish and grapes which was very unsurprising, and resumed weaving. He saw it as therapeutic. Instead of focusing on the ache in his thighs, he traded it for an ache in his arms.

The pattern he was using a simple and consistent. Just like their mornings. Up and over, back and forth. Pull it back around and tuck it. Up and over, back and forth.

Steady.

Not like the growing mistrust of their captain.

Unchanging.

Not like the bruises that looked like fingerprints around Ren’s neck.

Dependable.

Not like the ship that appeared on the horizon around midday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we are going to get into some exciting times!!


	22. Bitter Pill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update of the day! A good way to start a Monday, eh?
> 
> Made on 01/28/2020.

Otoya dropped what he was working on. He had glanced up to stretch out the muscles in his neck, work them back and forth. He had been joking to himself about being stuck in that position permanently when he decided to roll his shoulders. He was sure his jaw dropped when the vine did.

“Ren.” The ship was really there, right? It wasn’t a trick of the light or anything? “Ren.” His mate was steps away from him, his back turned to the ocean. “Ren, look at that. It’s, it’s a,” Otoya began to shake. If this was something real and sailing towards them, he almost didn’t want to say it in case it was a dream. He’d take false escapes over another one about Natsuki. “A ship.”

Ren perked, jerking his head around towards the open sea. His eyes widened immediately, it let Otoya know that this really was real. It seemed that their captain had also spotted it. Reiji raced across the beach, kicking up tufts of sand as he did, towards them.

“A ship! Look at that! A real ship! Here!” He was shouting with a near artificial giddiness, waving his arms in large loops. “We’re saved! We’re saved!” 

It was all kinds of surreal. Otoya wasn’t sure the expression he wore at that moment but if he had to guess, it must have looked like the one Ren had on. Shock. Relief. Guilt. In that moment, all of the misgivings were temporarily forgotten as the rescue ship sailed towards the island. 

“Well, would you look at that.” Ren ran a hand through his hair, pushing it off his face. He sighed, a sleepy and relaxed sound, before giving Otoya the same kind of smile. “I don’t think the sight of a ship has ever made our captain go so nuts.”

They were returning to routine and the worries melted away in Otoya’s system. He slumped to the ground, propped up against a rock, his former chair. The thought of getting off this island made his head spin. 

It must have been a huge ship, even for Otoya’s standards. Much bigger than Reiji’s, which was already a decent size. Triple masts were flying white sails, Otoya could make out more and more details as it drifted closer. There was no doubt that it wasn't sailing aimlessly; it was on a straight collision course with the island. The waves rocked it, making the bow dip and rise endlessly. 

Eventually, it stopped still some ways out at sea, comfortable in the deep waters. From there, it could lower a smaller boat and row it to the island. If Otoya squinted, he brought a hand up to get the sun out of his face, he could see a handful of men getting into the rowboat. They started towards the island, oars splashing up salt water as they went, and that was when Otoya really began to believe that they were being rescued. 

He flopped back onto the loose sand. It could get in his hair and clothes but he didn’t care. The clothes he currently wore could be exchange for a fresh pair of clothes soon enough. Opening his mouth to let out an uncharacteristic sigh of relief, he let his eyes close and enjoy the sound of the waves.

Voices of men he didn’t know roused him. He didn’t fall asleep but rather enjoyed listening to the breeze blowing through the trees and the surf. Under normal circumstances, these would be mundane noises to him. He was roused quicker when the voices turned violent. Grunts and shouts made him scramble up just in time to be on the wrong end of a barrel of a gun.

“What is this?” Strangely, the person who was yelling wasn’t Reiji but Ren. “What is the meaning of this? Get that out of my face, don’t you touch me.” Ren’s voice was hoarse, from multiple sources of strain. He grew increasingly hostile and Otoya could see why. Between the three of them, Ren was the largest. It was smart to subdue the biggest threat first to keep the others in line. Reiji had taught him that.

Otoya and Ren were surrounded. They were outmanned roughly three to one and outgunned by the same. Neither of the sailors made a move for their knives. Using a short-range weapon against guns would be suicide. His red head went on a swivel. Where was their captain?

He spotted Reiji standing next to someone he didn’t know. The other man was tall, taller than all of them, and was dressed differently. The muscle all wore loose fitting shirts, a simple wardrobe. But this man sported an elaborate coat, knee highs boots, and a hat with a plume. The hair that flowed out from under the hat was a light blond, so close to being silver in the sunlight.

The way it reminded Otoya of Natsuki’s hair gave him a bad feeling.

But this man didn’t look angelic. He had a long face with lips that seemed permanently pulled down. Whoever he was didn’t spare Otoya and Ren a single glance, even as his men brought the two sailors together. No, he seemed more intent on talking to their captain, who was throwing a minor tantrum. 

“You’re late. Do you know you’re late?” Reiji was squawking up at the other man. Otoya’s captain was the only one of the three stranded humans without a firearm pointed at him. Otoya didn’t understand. “I could have died! Hey, give me one of those.” The short captain called out and snatched a gun from one of the grunts. “A fortnight. I said a fortnight! You wouldn’t believe the things on this island.”

Whatever Reiji was bemoaning about, Otoya didn’t know. “Captain, what’s going on?” He called out cautiously. Surely, there was a mistake, right? And Reiji was trying to barter for all of their safe passage aboard this rescue vessel?

“Ah, Otoyan.” Stopping his tirade, Reiji gave him a sad smile. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, I really am.” He swung the rifle over in Otoya’s direction, his actions and words couldn’t be interpreted any other way than the obvious. “But this is where we say goodbye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone is finally showing their true colours and it's not shaping up to be a good time for Otoya.
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	23. Invisible Strings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It shouldn't be too much of a shock to the reader that Reiji's turning out to be a not so decent guy. Just to give a quick recap over things he's done that have been sketchy; lied about their course, shamed Otoya into not asking about the gold, persuaded Otoya and Ren to not build any sort of rescue tool until recently, and lowkey manipulated Otoya. 
> 
> I like this chapter. The information may be a bit hard to grasp but I have a lengthy ending note to hopefully explain the new plot developments.
> 
> Made on 01/28/2020.

Goodbye?

“W-what?” There must be sand in his ears. His captain couldn’t have really just said that, did he? His trusted captain? The one who Otoya had followed diligently through thick and thin? The one who practically raised him?

Reiji could only shake his head and snicker. “You were always an innocent one. Too innocent for my liking.” Otoya really wished his captain would lower that gun. Reiji had enough experience with the weapon that Otoya knew that he knew how to use it. “You don’t know anything about the real world. You don’t even know anything about yourself.”

The taller man scoffed. “Cease your needless blathering. I have arrived and now we will return to my ship. Come along or I will leave you here.”

It distracted Reiji enough but Otoya wasn’t thinking about ambushing him. Ren jolted forward but only got a step in before being yanked back. “Myu-myu, just a few more minutes. Don’t you think he should know why we have to leave him here? Besides, my gold needs to be dug up.”

This Myu-myu rolled his eyes and waved his hand. Right away, two of the hired help broke off towards an area Reiji pointed to and they began to dig. By the way Reiji exchanged words with the tall man, it became clear to Otoya that the two knew each other. But Otoya had never seen this other man before. He gave off a pompous air, something that didn’t blend well with Otoya’s own personality. The other man’s silence gave Reiji the opportunity to keep talking.

“Man, when you found my chest, I thought I had to come clean. But lucky for me, your head is so empty that you never brought it up again!” The insult hurled at him made Otoya wilt. His shoulders bunched together. “Just another thing you’re ignorant about, just like your birth.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ren barked the question in Otoya’s stead. The blond was still twitching and struggling, stilling for a time when a barrel pushed up between his shoulder blades. Otoya didn’t need a gun on him to be stunned still.

Reiji ignored him. “Your slut of a mother got knocked up by the wrong guy. If she had picked anyone else, you wouldn’t be here right now.” Now that got Otoya’s attention. He bristled but was unable to get a word in. “Because of that mistake, you found yourself being targeted by some very powerful people.” 

Ren repeated his inquiry but it was Otoya who began to shout over him. “Apologize. That’s my—”

“Sure, sure.” Reiji waved the redheaded puppy off. “You should be thanking me. I kept you hidden all these years. You would have been dead before adulthood if it weren’t for me and now, I plan on collecting my dues.”

None of this was making any sense. Otoya grit his teeth together. Sure, he never knew his father. Sure, his mother slept around but it paid well. Sure, Reiji gave him the closest thing he had to a father for years. But there were still too many gaps for him to make sense of. 

It was a look of stupefaction enough to make Reiji sigh. “You’re a real piece of work, ya know that?” The barrel was wavering, sinking an inch or so through the air. “It would have been so easy to arrange a smaller accident but when the other lad came into the picture, well,” Reiji shrugged, “two birds, one stone. Double the payout. I wanted those odds.”

He was shaking his head; the betrayal was sinking in with every word that Reiji said. Tears made his vision misty but this was where Otoya had to be strong. He had been pushed around and tricked since the beginning and he wouldn’t crumble like he had in the past. He had come too far, faced too many setbacks, to break now.

“God, it’s like watching monkeys interact. Listen up, I don’t speak to hear myself talk.” The deep voice boomed from the tall man and he looked at Otoya right down the bridge of his nose. “Your father is a powerful man. Powerful men have many heirs. It is natural for some heirs to be eliminated to remove their claim on power.” 

This man claimed that Otoya was a mistake. That his birth was a sin. But unquestionably, there was room for error? Maybe Otoya wasn’t who they were saying he was. It must be a case of mistaken identity, right? They were mistaking him for someone else?

“Are you sure…?” Otoya didn’t know the first thing about his father. His mother never spoke of him. But if there was a chance that this man was mistaken, that there was somehow a mix up, Otoya had to take it. “I don’t know my father. Maybe you got it wrong.” His voice warbled; it didn’t make for a very strong case.

“Not a chance. All the evidence is right there.” Reiji gestured to Otoya. “Your hair, your eyes, there’s no mistaking it.” The captain made it obvious that he wasn’t interested in listening to any of Otoya’s pleas. “You were supposed to die in the wreck. When you survived, well, it really is your fault on why it had to come to this.”

Reiji whistled. “But since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll leave you with your water and shelter in place. I won’t even destroy the raft you guys started to make! Shouldn’t you thank me?” If he was truly expecting praise, Otoya thought, that he was the fool.

The image of Reiji pointing that gun at him would haunt him, Otoya could always tell. He deflated, the gravity of the situation was sinking in. It stung, knowing his years with Reiji had been based on what was essentially a lie. He hadn’t gotten lucky meeting Reiji all those years ago, he was purposefully selected and kept around as an insurance policy. That raised another question; how many knew about this?

“Did Ranmaru know?” Otoya’s voice was small and his bottom lip twisted in an attempt to stop him from crying. “Did Syo know?” If his best friends knew and didn’t say anything to him for years then… Otoya didn’t want to look at Ren. “Did Ren know?”

A shout broke out from Ren, who swore on his life that he didn’t know, but it was ignored. Otoya was staring at Reiji, who was staring back at him. He didn’t think Reiji would answer him until he did. “Ranmaru did. He’s the only one. Though.” Reiji laughed and looked the sorriest he did all day, “he didn’t agree with it. Shame he didn’t make it through the shipwreck, huh?”

By now, the treasure trove of gold was dug up. It was dragged through the sand and loaded onto the rowboat, weighing it down. Once it clunked down, the tall man clicked his tongue. “We’re leaving.”

Slowly, the invasive men climbed back onto the boat. Otoya and Ren were left facing Reiji, who was mere steps from the grounded boat. Otoya didn’t know if Reiji was having regrets over leaving them there, it had to be now that they were making themselves known to him.

“Take Ren with you. You can leave me if you want but take him with you.” Self-sacrifice came through for Otoya. There was no sense in dragging Ren down with him, if he was a lost cause. He would be able to survive here. He had Tokiya to help him, after all. Otoya didn’t have time to scan the shallow water to look for his familiar shape. He could sense that the merman was close. 

Reiji tilted the gun, allowing for no room for neither of them to approach him. “No can do. Sorry, sorry, but I can’t take you away from your lovely little saviour. He might try to drown me if I did.” He was backing up towards the rowboat, swinging his body to put one foot on the edge of the boat with his other still firmly planted in the earth.

“Take him. Take him!” Otoya was close to shrieking, straining the vowels. He would fight tooth and nail for this chance. They took an oath aboard the ship. Reiji broke it but Otoya’s bond with Ren was still as strong as ever. If Otoya fancied a guess, they were closer than ever now. “You need to save him.” He took a step towards Reiji. Then another.

“You always were a whiner.” Reiji removed his foot off the edge of the boat, stalking towards Otoya. His boots kicked up the thin layer of water, making the water murky. The gun was pressed up right against Otoya’s chest, making the redhead advance no further. “Maybe I should do you a favour and pull this trigger.”

There was something in Reiji’s eyes that made Otoya believe him. And he wasn’t the only one.

A hiss came from behind the boat made Reiji turn around. It was an angry, watery sound coming from one very pissed off merman. Otoya had seen Tokiya mad and this wasn’t mad. He had seen him frantic and this wasn’t frantic. This was a delirious, fantastical antagonism. With his tail riled up, his body resembled that of a snake ready to strike. 

His sudden appearance startled Reiji, who nearly tripped over his feet trying to get out of the water. By retreating from the water, the captain was also moving away from his only method of escaping from this island. The gun was moved from Otoya’s range. 

“This is exactly the kind of shit that I had to put up with. You see?” Reiji was hollering at his friend in the boat. “You see, this is what happens when you’re late!”

“Quit your nonsense. Get over here this instant so we may depart.” The man called back to Reiji who was faced with a choice. Myu-myu didn’t seem phased at Tokiya’s existence. The same couldn’t be said about the other men he was with. Face Tokiya in the water or stay marooned on the island with the very men he just boasted about leaving there to die? Reiji was caught between two extremes.

Only Otoya could see a compromise. “Take Ren with you and I’ll get Tokiya to move. But only if you take him with you.” It was a last-ditch effort, his last shot in the dark. If Ren argued with him, he wouldn’t listen. As long as they were both alive, they had a chance at reuniting.

Now that the tides were turning in Otoya’s favour, they were slipping out of Reiji’s hands. The control he had was vanishing like morning mist. When a man was cornered, that was when he became the most dangerous. Reiji had also taught him that. But Otoya made a beginner’s mistake.

Cornering the only man with a gun.

“Ya know, that just doesn’t sound appealing to me.” Reiji whipped the gun around, pointing it at Tokiya’s form in the waves. 

He didn’t hesitate in pulling the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned before how I wanted to keep certain dynamics from canon. This included Otoya's relationship, or lack, with his father. In canon, Shining is a man who has accomplished quite a bit (single sold millions or whatever, has his own school, etc). I made him much more vague in this story, not even naming him but just saying he has some power/influence and is in a desirable position. I don't mean a monarchy but if it is easier for you to understand it that way, that's fine. Basically, Otoya has an inheritance that is valuable should he claim it. Otoya, himself, is completely unaware of this. If Otoya should say, die, his inheritance is up for grabs and Reiji was hired to ensure Otoya was removed. Reiji kept Otoya on his crew for years as an insurance policy, essentially, and now Otoya is worth more to him dead than alive. So yes, Reiji had been lying and manipulating Otoya for years.
> 
> I also very minorly implied that Otoya and Cecil are either half or full brothers. It doesn't matter much which it is. You can decide for yourself. It would be half through their father, something a little different than canon.
> 
> Toki wasn't supposed to have gotten shot in the original version of this story (how I envisioned it in 2018). However, when I came back to finish this story in 2020, the scene just played out that way. Toki got between Reiji and the rowboat and, well, it was the obvious outcome.
> 
> See you Friday!


	24. Bleeding Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Animal Crossing New Horizons day everyone~ I got my copy today and already have been playing. I am really enjoying it so far...!! I only played Pocket Camp for a bit until I got bored with it so I have been waiting for New Horizons ever since! I am a really big fan of the backpacks and I am glad we can get them in New Horizons!
> 
> There are some **descriptions of injuries, blood, and amateur surgery** in this chapter (cause of the events of the last chapter) so if you're squeamish, tread lightly!
> 
> Made on 01/28/2020.

It was chaos. Multiple things happened when Reiji fired. The normally perfectly clear aqua was stained red. Otoya’s knees buckled under him. Ren faltered, in part over confusion on who was actually shot since both Otoya and Tokiya were screaming and in part that Reiji had actually shot one in their party. It was the stumble that Reiji had been waiting for to scramble and amble up and into the rowboat. The oars flew through the air, wanting to get as much distance as possible between them and the island. 

Otoya ran to Tokiya’s side. There was so much blood. It was in the water, already bring pushed up on the shore. It didn’t dissipate in the water like Otoya thought it should. Instead, it lingered. It stained Tokiya’s scales, disrupting the subtle pattern Otoya could see in an instant now.

But what Otoya didn’t see was where he got hit. 

Tokiya writhed, curling in on himself. His tail was coiling and contorting on itself, churning up the water. With his mouth falling open, he was gasping and groaning. His eyes were blown wide open, pupils huge. 

It hurt Otoya to see him like this. It was like Otoya had gotten shot himself, the bullet blasting a giant hole in his heart. As soon as the gunshot rang out in the air, he thought he was the one that had gotten the bullet.

“Help me move him,” Otoya begged Ren. Tokiya was too heavy for Otoya to drag up the bank himself. He had to stop the bleeding. “Please, I can’t do it myself.” He could barely get a grip on Tokiya’s flailing limbs. His heart was beating so fast that he could hardly breathe. He didn’t want to second guess Ren back there. He hoped the other man wouldn’t hold it against him. Otoya faulted him for nothing. He was left behind, just like Otoya was. They had to stay together.

But trying to talk with Tokiya bleeding out between them wasn’t the time.

With Ren’s help, Tokiya was towed onshore. Once laid out, Otoya’s eyes were desperate to find the source of the bleeding. His hands patted along Tokiya’s body, ruling out a shot to his torso. In this mind, he kept repeating that it was a good thing. His heart was okay. If it was anything but a superficial wound, it was beyond Otoya’s ability to help and heal.

A ragged hole was in the fatty part on Tokiya’s hip. It nearly blew a chunk of flesh loose, catching near a fin. But the fin looked like it would be salvageable as it twitched. Otoya’s hands felt the opposing side of Tokiya’s body and quickly brought a problem.

There was no exit hole. The bullet was still inside.

“It’s, it’s still in. Inside. The bullet.” They needed to get it out. “We, we need to. Take it out.” He couldn’t keep his voice steady. He couldn’t keep the tears out of his eyes. This was his fault, Tokiya had been protecting him. Whatever had possessed him to, Otoya didn’t know. But what he did know was that this was his fault and he had to fix it.

Otoya himself had no medical experience. When Syo had broken his arm, the redhead useless. He had practically no experience with bullets either. The closest he got was feeling a scar Ranmaru had on his arm. The older mariner would boast about the confrontations he’s been in, one involving getting shot. There was some embellishment to the tale to impress the younger sailors like Otoya no doubt but Ranmaru did say it was a through and through.

Not like this. The bullet had to be located and removed.

He fumbled with the knife on his hip. He flicked it open. The bullet had to be dug out. The blade shook in the air, a consequence of Otoya being unable to keep his hands still. But he had to focus. One bad move, one subconscious jerk of his fingers, and he could rip open more skin.

Ren was on the other side of Tokiya, facing Otoya. “Do you want me to do it?”

He was grateful for the offer but he motioned no. “I have to do it.” Otoya wouldn’t shy away from the responsibility. Plus, he had a strong feeling that Tokiya would want him to do it. Tokiya had bandaged him once already so now it was time for Otoya’s to return the favour. 

There was no time to waste. “Get all the water we have.” The redhead didn’t have any formal training but, on a ship, minor injuries were common. He only knew the basics. Clean the wound. Bandage it. Give it time to recover. But this was a gunshot. These didn’t happen on a ship. “And I’ll get the bandages.”

It was time for his other pant leg to go. He looked ridiculous with only one anyways, asymmetrical. Using the knife, he peeled the fabric like a fruit. The material was cut into long strips, long enough to tie around Tokiya’s hips. It was lucky that the merman was on the slender side. 

By the time the bandages were done, Ren had returned with shells in hand. He had filled them with water, making them portable cups. Otoya gave a harsh laugh. Looks like they were good for something after all. 

Water was poured to clean the wound of blood and sand. Weak streams of blood still pulsed from the hole, streaking the sand underneath Tokiya. But Otoya ignored that. He flushed his blade with clean water and threw the stripes of cut cloth into another. The open, flat scallops were his choices for those. Otoya’s pants had been soaked in the salt water over and over again so the salt needed to be cleansed.

Salt bad. Water good. Otoya’s thoughts became exceedingly simple. Ren brought him more shells filled with the lifesaving liquid.

He felt around the hole with his finger. Fluids oozed out at him. He couldn’t wait any longer. “Hey, can you hear me?” Tokiya’s chest moved rapidly in motion, his shallow breaths proved that he was still alive but Otoya had no idea if he could hear him. “This is going to hurt but stay with me, okay?”

His finger filled the hole, feeling its depth. Tokiya groaned. It didn’t feel too deep, his finger disappeared up until the second knuckle. The water must have provided a slight resistance, stopping the bullet from penetrating so far. He took his finger out and gripped the knife. This was where the emergency surgery began.

The shaking went away after the first cut. Tokiya stayed quiet but he tensed each time the blade was cutting into his skin, scales bunching up no matter how much Otoya stroked his side to try to help him relax. By the fifth cut, Otoya had sweat dripping into his eyes, Ren had to douse him in water as the redhead’s hands were currently occupied. 

The eighth cut was the last one. A tiny, crumbled object was dropped into the sand, followed by the knife Otoya used. He sat back on his knees. Another bathing of water cleaned the wound and it let Otoya see how he did.

It wasn’t the prettiest. It wasn’t the cleanest. It would likely scar. But the bullet was out and Tokiya had settled into an uneasy sleep. As long as he was breathing, it was enough for Otoya.

A glance over his shoulder, out at the horizon, told Otoya that the rowboat was just making it to the ship. They weren’t coming back. The situation was as bleak as ever. Their numbers were dwindling and now one of them was injured. It was still unknown how bad it was. Otoya guessed that they wouldn’t know until Tokiya woke up and told them.

Until then, he wouldn’t leave his side.

It wasn’t until well after did Ren ask him about his knife. Once Tokiya had drifted off into a fitful sleep and Otoya finally had a chance to catch his breath. The sand around them was stained with blood and littered with bloody bandages. The tremor had returned to Otoya's hands and Ren had to snap his fingers in front of Otoya's face to get the redhead to focus.

“Since when have you had Syo’s knife?”

Otoya couldn’t answer him but the three-letter name engraved on the knife spoke volumes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is pretty obvious why Otoya would have Syo's knife considering where he picked it up. The reader should know exactly what happened to Syo by now even if all the pieces aren't there for Otoya. He has enough to think about right now.
> 
> Considering Toki was never supposed to get shot, I gotta say, I felt pretty ingenious when I thought up a use for all those shells lol.
> 
> There are going to be a whole of a lot of parallels coming up between Otoya and Toki so I hope ur ready for them. There was one already in this chapter.
> 
> See you Monday!


	25. Tender Care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of mysteries still to solve! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about stuff that is still unresolved up until now. We have about 10k words left (not including this chapter) in the main story so we are slowly approaching the ending! 
> 
> It should be noted that I have never taken a biology class in my entire life. Chemistry? Yes. Physics? Yes. Nuclear physics? Yes. Biology? No. I can tell you how to operate a nuclear power plant before I can tell you where the liver is in the body.
> 
> Made on 01/29/2020.

Short term goals once again dominated Otoya’s activities. Cleaning, bandaging, and making sure Tokiya’s skin didn’t dry out became paramount. He was kept on bedrest, hidden beneath a leafy canopy. Otoya was his champion, making sure the merman didn’t try to rush things.

That meant that Ren had to do the work of three people. Otoya apologized to the blond profusely and wrangled cooking duty from him. The two barely had a chance to have a proper conversation about what had occurred since Tokiya required all of Otoya’s attention. Ren then focused on fetching water, saying that Masato would accompany him when Otoya raised concern of the blond going alone. There were still monsters in the forest.

If they had the chance to talk, Otoya would have asked about the bruises. He could only guess they had come from an altercation with Reiji sometime before the other man left. But Ren never brought up and Otoya had enough on his plate. They would have time to unpack it later, when they could put all of this behind them.

With Ren gone, wheeling a barrel in his wake, Otoya was left alone with Tokiya. He awoke without complications, it seemed, according to him anyways. Otoya watched as the other inspected himself. He flexed his tail and twisted his body on land, testing out his muscles. It turned out that the bullet had buried itself in mostly layers of fat, a lucky shot for Tokiya.

“I didn’t know you had such a mothering side to you.” It was said good naturedly to Otoya, who was caught off guard and blushed. In hindsight, Otoya should have recognized that it was a flesh wound but that didn’t mean Tokiya had to tease him about it!

“Well…!!” He dragged a cloth against Tokiya’s forehead, not giving himself any breaks to avoid future teasing. “I didn’t know where you were hit. You can’t exactly blame me, could you?” Otoya flashed his best soft look, he was beginning to learn that Tokiya was weak to that. He puffed his bottom lip out for good measure.

Getting a bit of teasing back, Tokiya looked miffed. “Of course not.” He looked proud, in a way. It was enough to warm Otoya’s heart and the two broke out into a fit of giggles. Once they subsided, Tokiya started a more serious conversation. “Were you scared?”

Otoya gave a laugh. “Who, a manly sailor like me? Never…” Puffing out his chest, he tried to look the part of his chosen lifestyle. It earned him about look of endearment from Tokiya, who batted his eyelashes. “But honestly? Yeah.” Pressing his lips together, Otoya changed his tone of voice. “Did you hear what happened?” 

Knowing that his captain had betrayed them was one thing. But knowing that Reiji had tried to kill him specifically took him for a whirl. Otoya was used and that hurt. With Tokiya injured but out of danger, Otoya could start to unpack what had happened.

“I did. I was worried for you. That’s why I stepped in.” Tokiya readjusted himself in the ground and reached for a shell holding water. Otoya rushed to get it first, to avoid the other from overexerting himself, and he managed it. Tokiya purred from the attention. “I couldn’t have you getting hurt again, not when I was able to do something about it this time.” 

Otoya didn’t say whether or not he thought Reiji would actually shoot him or not. “Now I get to care for you. So, no doing too much. It stresses me out!” He didn’t have the best bedside manner but he would put in a mountain’s worth of effort for Tokiya. “I thought I was the one that got shot at first. I swear, I felt the pain go right through me.”

That grabbed Tokiya’s attention. “You did? Are you sure?” 

It was a shock for sure so Otoya confirmed it. “Yeah. I’ve never felt anything like that before.” It was a jolt to his heart but it was more than that. He felt pain, anger, and fear all at once. It blinded him in that moment.

Another cascade of water for Tokiya. The water glistened off his scales so nicely, wetting the sand under him. “Then you probably got it from me.” 

Deep down, Otoya had a feeling that something between them had changed. They created a spark between them. Maybe it was something that was always there but it bloomed into an intimate relationship, one that Otoya would have sworn he had for years. 

“A bond, huh?” Otoya’s eyes were shining. It was a guess but he had a feeling that he got it right. There was no astonishment on Tokiya’s face, it was seemed that it was a word that he had expected to come out of Otoya’s mouth. “But I do have a question.”

That, not so expected. “Yes?”

“Why does it matter so much? A-ah, I don’t mean you, specifically. But in general?” He didn’t think it through before talking so it was a spur of the moment decision. Otoya spoke quickly, getting it out in a single breath. “Like, you and…” He wasn’t used to saying Masato’s name out loud so he waved his hand towards the sea. “Why go after Ren and I?”

Tokiya seemed apprehensive. Otoya let him take his time to work out his answer. He busied himself with checking bandages. They weren’t dried out yet but it would be a little bit more before Tokiya would be able to swim as freely as he did before. The wound hadn’t even closed yet and would be at least a week before that point.

“There’s a chance that I can become human again.” Tokiya breathed the words delicately. He looked bashful, not quite meeting Otoya’s eyes. The trailing fins on his tail buried themselves in the sand. It was a habit that Tokiya likely wasn’t aware of but Otoya caught it in the corner of his eye.

“That’s amazing!” It burst forth out of Otoya, who was full of nothing but enthusiasm. It really was his default state and the sudden energy seemed to catch Tokiya by surprise. “You…!” He lunged and wrapped his arms around Tokiya’s torso, catching the other man off guard.

There was a garbled noise before Tokiya got his words straight. “Hey! How can I take it easy if you’re jumping all over me!” It was a kindhearted bark that made Otoya scramble off him all the same. 

“Sorry, sorry!” Otoya scratched the back of his head with one hand, fluffing up his hair from underneath. “I just got too excited. How big of a chance is it?” This was something that Tokiya had never brought up before but the thought of being able to walk alongside him made Otoya giddy. He practically threw the limited pool of water over the merman.

Some of it got on Tokiya’s face, dripping off the dark points of his hair. He wasn’t amused. A sigh and a few shakes before it was put behind them. “It’s getting bigger each day I spend with you.” Another line that got another blush out of Otoya. “I don’t have firsthand knowledge of it. Masato told me about it.”

Masato, the shark-like one. It was funny on Otoya’s tongue but he was glad for the reminder. “What did he say?” 

“He heard it from another so I don’t know how much is true. I’m younger than him, did you know?” Otoya shook his head. He wouldn’t have guessed that. Masato and Tokiya looked about the same in age. “He’s been here for a few decades more than me.”

Decades, huh? Otoya couldn’t imagine it. He stayed quiet to be a polite listener after his rambunctious actions. “There wasn’t much he could tell me. He doesn’t speak in the most straightforward manner sometimes but what I could make out was it involved the love from a human.”

Love… It was a word that those around him told him he was too young for. His only love should be of the sea, they told him. Women were too much trouble and men were, well, that sort of love was seen as different. Otoya’s lips parted. He remembered that night, which seemed so far away now, where Tokiya asked him if he could love him. Otoya recalled the warmth of Tokiya's skin under his hand. That had been real. It wasn't a trick of light or a whisper in his ear, it was a beating heart that Tokiya had offered him. It was an offer he had accepted and he wasn't going to go back on his word.

“I’ve never tried with a human before. I’m not really the most sociable so when they’ve come ashore before I’ve ignored them.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind an ear. Otoya thought that shy was a good look for him. But this new piece of information caught his interest.

“Other humans have been here?” As far as he knew, those that were stranded here were the only humans on the entire island. While they were unable to check all areas of the island, namely the mountain in the centre, they have seen hide nor hair of any other people. “Where? Are they still here?”

Tokiya shook his head. “The last humans were here last about six moons ago. Only one survived since and he…” His tail flopped, tossing up the sand. “You’ve already met him.”

Otoya choked. Surely Tokiya didn’t mean—!?

The merman jerked in response to Otoya’s feelings. “Cecil. It’s Cecil.” Tokiya corrected the misconception immediately. “I didn’t mean to make you remember. It’s okay, I’m here.” He cooed at Otoya, who looked upset at being thrown off his guard. He reached for a shell and hurled the water at his own face to wake himself up.

There was a shaky exhale. Water dripped from his nose. Otoya pulled himself together. “Cecil, but how? He isn’t human now.” He spoke the obvious. But the link between how he got like that remained a mystery. Tokiya seemed to know the reason why but seemed hesitant to say, he didn’t offer the answer up on a silver platter. “Will I become like that too?”

“Never.” It was certain, the way Tokiya said it. He swore it. “You’ll never be like that.” 

Otoya believed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally have the reason why Toki, and by extension Masa, is so attached to the humans. Hopefully this isn't coming out of left field either cause it should seem pretty Disney a la The Little Mermaid. Of course, the details are vague but it involves the love of a human and maybe an act of selflessness...!? An act of true love will help Toki be human again so he better get to it lol taking a bullet ain't gunna cut it.
> 
> Once again, ages are brought up. We also get a slight indication on how Cecil survived (it's implied). We'll get confirmation later on exactly how he survived so look forward to it! 
> 
> We also have one more character who has yet to appear. Any guesses on how Ai will come into the story? It is something to think about! I always encourage questions, even if I can't answer them outright due to giving away my plot!!
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	26. Make a Splash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a double update today so look forward to it!! Both chapters will have some lightheartedness to them, something that is well deserved after all of the heavy drama.
> 
> Made on 01/29/2020.

With Tokiya down and out, the only source of fishing came from Masato. Otoya tried to pick up the mantle, sharpening a makeshift spear for himself out of a long stick. His merman lounged on the beach, away from the sun’s scorching rays and watched as Otoya tried to fish.

He held the spear clumsily, pieces of bark kept breaking off and falling into the water at his feet. It was harder than it looked. There were numerous shots of the spear without anything to show for it. 

But Otoya was nothing if not determined. He was a man. He should be able to catch a single fish. Just one. He would be happy with one. Secretly, he had thoughts of presenting it to Tokiya. It was the only kind of true present that Otoya could get on this island. But the fish were as slippery as ever. He dove in with his hands once and just ended up drenched and empty handed.

It provided good entertainment to the injured party. Tokiya took great delight in watching Otoya’s frustration build over the course of an hour. Really, Tokiya thought, Otoya had done well to get this far.

Otoya, meanwhile, honed his tracking skills. His keen eyes spotted movement. Wading deeper, the waves were about at his thighs, he held his spear high. Shadows, he had learned, alerted the fish so Otoya made sure he was facing the sun, letting his shadow fall behind him.

Licking his lips, he calmed himself. Nerves had gotten the best of him already on this hunt. He had to remain cool and calm. This particular fish was a brilliant shade of blue. The ripples and light refraction made it hard to pinpoint but when Otoya thought he had a clear shot, he threw the spear right at it.

When Masato rose to the surface, looking extremely annoyed, Otoya shrivelled. The spear was snapped in half and Otoya got the message. He turned tail and sprinted out of the sea, face comically twisted in his fright.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a story about getting shipwrecked on an island so I couldn't _not_ have a fishing scene. It's the classic 'make a spear out of wood and try to fish' scene!! Of course, Otoya catches nothing but it is of great amusement to Toki so all's well that end's well, right?
> 
> Well. Maybe Masa sees things differently.
> 
> Masa was likely in the shallow water to sun himself but looks like he can't even do that. Natsuki who? Otoya is now the greatest menace on the island.


	27. Quiet Night...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update of the day!
> 
> Toki's event seems pretty competitive in Shining Live. I'm only aiming for one copy of him so I am not too worried. I thought his previewed quote was pretty amusing, the 'I want to do something only I can do' thing. I got flashbacks to another one of my stories where he gave Ren that very same advice. What a coincidence lol.
> 
> Speaking of Toki's event, I am pretty pleased with the set list. Night Dream always gets a thumbs up from me and Secret Lover always makes me laugh. I adore Toki no Jewel and I think that sort of song suits Toki very well. His songs are my favourite to sing along to and that hasn't changed in years. My fav Toki song is Hoshikuzu Shall We Dance? but My Little Little Girl is also very good.
> 
> Made on 01/29/2020.

“So, I hear you tried to hunt my merman?”

Ren had nearly busted a gut laughing when he found out. The redhead didn’t know who told him because he sure didn’t himself but a sly smile from Tokiya let him suspect. It was the prime topic over dinner. Laughter was light on the wind as the evening breeze swept over the beach.

“Look, for the last time,” Otoya used the spine of the fish he had just picked clean to illustrate his point, “I thought he was a fish!” It may have been due to his mistake earlier or a lackluster fishing session that ended up with Otoya getting two of the smallest fish. Masato didn’t hold grudges, did he?

He tossed the spine to Tokiya, who seemed to fancy them. Tokiya crunched on the fragile bones, seeking out the pieces of meat that Otoya had left behind. Tokiya had already gotten his share and had devoured those bones as well. “You leave a lot of fat on these.”

“Oh, he’s always been a messy eater.” It was the type of tone that hinted that it had a story to pair along with it. Without a doubt, if they were back on the ship, Ren would have said that with a swing of his drink. “You should have seen when he entered himself into a food eating contest. Remember that one? What was it again, meat?”

Quick to correct him, Otoya said matter of factly. “It was fish stew with rice! Something that I will never eat again after getting off this island.” Memories of the contest made his stomach feel like it was bloated. The ginger, butter, and garlic had turned his stomach in the worst way. He was glad he already finished his supper before calling up that particular memory.

“Did he win?” Otoya got a once over by Tokiya, no mistake that he was eyeing Otoya’s thin body. It was quickly becoming known to Otoya that Tokiya and Ren got along well. Too well. Already, they had ganged up on him twice this night alone.

The blond scoffed. “Not a chance. He was out before the third round.” God, Ren could at least make it sound like he went out in style! “He puked it all up. Poor guy was sidelined for the entire night.”

Otoya shrieked. Worse! That was worse! “Don’t say it like that!” Who was Ren making him out to be!? He could feel fondness emanating from Tokiya and took that as a good sign. However, he was still unable to look Tokiya in the eye.

“Speaking of food,” Ren sniggered as Otoya yelled over him that no one was talking about any sort of food, “I think I’ve settled on what I want as my reward. The best piece of steak that money can buy.”

Otoya thought quickly. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll enter you in a contest where you can eat as much as you like!” 

That got the whole group laughing. The fire roared, crackling and sending up sparks. The embers fizzled out on the sand. On a night like this, the fire didn’t need to be as large as it normally was. The full moon gave off enough natural light that they didn’t need to use too much of their firewood tonight. The less they used, the more they could save and use later, when they really needed it.

But the fire acted like a beacon. The strong moonlight wasn’t enough for the three on the beach to notice that someone new had touched down on their sands.

It was Tokiya who tensed first. He was further away from the fire than Otoya and Ren, to avoid drying out. The wind changed direction, blowing up the beach to the north. 

“Someone’s here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, lightheartedness time is over. Back to plot. This scene is the one I was referring to in an earlier chapter, where I said that it felt very natural to write like in canon. They're starting to mesh well. It would be a shame if.... Something........ Were to happen..........
> 
> See you Friday!


	28. Distant Roar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only like to work on one AU at a time so I am thinking of what my next one could be. I have some ideas but hmm. They're all longer, multi chapter stories so picking one may take me a while. Like I have notes on a Pokemon one with Otoya as our protag again. Or a idol stalker one with Otoya again.... There seems to be a theme here.... 
> 
> Made on 01/29/2020.

It was those two words that killed off any kind of merriment from the two sailors. Ren stood while Otoya twisted his body where he sat. If this was some kind of ambush, they didn’t stand much of a chance if they were lured away from the light.

Luckily, they didn’t have to wait too long before an image began to take shape in the darkness.

It was a siren. By now, Otoya had seen enough of them to last a lifetime. The wings, the talons, everything. For the briefest of moments, Otoya’s heart nearly stopped. He thought it was Natsuki coming back for him. But as this creature stepped into the light, Otoya could tell that he was wrong. This wasn’t Natsuki. It was another one.

This one was also a male, clear as day through his bare, flat chest. He held his head at an odd tilt, looking at the group with unblinking eyes. His hair, styled at one point, looked sloppy and lopsided. His bangs fell heavily to one side of his face. In the poor lighting, with the moonlight clashing with the light of the fire, Otoya couldn’t make out a proper hair colour. 

The feathers were lighter than both Cecil and Natsuki’s. Not that it was a hard thing to accomplish, with the former’s being dark brown and the latter’s black. They had an odd tint to them. 

The soft embankment made his approach soundless. He easily could have snuck up on them and picked at least one of them off without a fight. But looking at his body language, this one didn’t seem to be picking a fight. Either way, it made Otoya tremble.

“Who’s there?” The bravest of the three was Ren, calling out to the creature. He ignored him to stare at Tokiya, who stared back. Otoya had a rush of emotion to throw himself between the two creatures but right before he could move, Tokiya surprised him.

“Ai?”

“You’re injured.”

Ai offered no greeting, no acknowledgement of the humans. The only one he talked to was Tokiya. A shuddering thrill went through Otoya when Ai spoke. His voice was high, as light as a feather. It felt wrong. 

Just as the tide rose, it ebbed within Otoya.

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine in a few days.” In a display of fitness, Tokiya flexed the muscles in his tail. His face betrayed nothing of the pain that flared up. Otoya felt it in his own gut. He hid it too, showing no weakness. “Why are you here?” To say that suspicion was in the words wouldn’t be the whole truth. They were also laced with curiosity. 

“I heard it. I thought it was coming from the mountain so I came to investigate. It’s happening again.” Ai held Tokiya in a level stare. But this time, Tokiya’s mask broke.

The merman gave an uneasy swallow. “Are you sure?” He broke the eye contact to turn his gaze towards the middle of the island. The mountain seemed to tower in the darkness, not giving up any of its secrets just yet.

Ai tilted his head in the other direction, nearly a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree shift. “There’s cracks. I hear them. Deep in the Earth.” It was unnerving how cryptic Ai’s words were, more unnerving was how they seemed to effect Tokiya. “I’d get away tomorrow if I were you. That’s when it’ll start.”

“That’s not enough time!” Tokiya lashed out, growling at the siren. He pounded the sand with his hands, broadcasting his frustration. He had to take a moment to compose himself again, looking more than a little embarrassed at having been caught losing his composure. “That’s not enough time.” Languidly, he reached out for where the bullet tore into him. 

Moving his head again, Ai looked straight up. The moonlight highlighted his features and Otoya saw the face of a young man. He had a dainty nose with high cheekbones. His lips moved; an additional ominous warning came forth. “The full moon came at a bad time.”

Those were Ai’s parting words. He spun around, walking back into the darkness.

A stunned silence fell over the group. Otoya didn’t know where to start. The fact that there was a third siren on this increasingly cramped island? Or that there seemed to be some calamity starting by the time the sun rose in some hours time? 

The only one with the answers was Tokiya and he went beyond shock. He was frozen solid. There was an ice in his veins, freezing his body in place. Otoya shivered. He tried to get Tokiya’s attention softly.

“Hey, what is it?”

The merman chewed his lip, the first action since Ai left. It was progress. Otoya made a second attempt.

“What is going on?”

Still nothing.

“Tokiya?”

That broke the ice. Tokiya gave him a dejected smile with calmed neither human on the beach. Spurred on by Otoya, he finally opened up. “The mountain isn’t a mountain at all.” 

The solitary peak looked uninviting as ever in the night. Otoya had to strain his eyes to make out the details of the summit. “But then what is it?” It looked normal to him. It hadn’t stood out in any way that he had noticed.

“It’s a volcano.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final boss has appeared!! At the start of the story, the island was the first boss/obstacle our humans had to overcome. Now, after Natsuki and Reiji, the island has revived itself in its final form. Once again, I am curious as to who caught onto this. I did leave clues in past chapters. Most notably, the cloud formations around the peak. The gases that volcanoes give off do impact cloud formation. Otoya and Ren have observed large, bright clouds around their island so that was the hint. Also, Toki talked about warm underwater currents around the island compared to others. That is caused by the magma, still deep underground. It could be let off by vents or bubbles.
> 
> This doesn't bode well for Otoya and Toki. But I'll get into those details over the next few chapters! We also see Ai come into the story. He's a siren, perhaps unsurprisingly. He will be a minor character due to coming into the story so late but he will play a very important role!
> 
> See you Monday!


	29. Think of a Way Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the Shining Live twitter, it looks like Camus is the next one to get a gacha UR. It is a 'flowery night tea party' theme so I expect Natsuki to be the matching UR card in the second half. Hopefully this is true and Natsuki'll talk about tea and stuff cause I wanted to write about him using a tea theme. I don't drink tea (or coffee or alcohol) so I don't know too much about it.
> 
> My boyfriend and I made a bet over Masa and Toki's White Day Promise side stories. I said that Toki's would be more awkward and he bet that Masa's would be more awkward. I won so I get a prize. It isn't surprising, Toki is an absolute walnut.
> 
> Made on 01/30/2020.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, it seemed. Otoya couldn’t catch a break.

So far, he had survived a shipwreck, staying alive on a deserted island, escaping Natsuki, and keeping his life even when his former captain pointed a shotgun at him. He survived battered and bruised and betrayed but his heart was still beating. Until it stopped, there was no way that Otoya was giving up.

One look at Ren and Otoya knew that the blond felt the same way. Now that the very island was turning against them, there was no time to waste.

Work on the raft reached a fever pitch. Forget finishing their earlier conversations, forget finishing dinner. It was all hands-on deck and the bustle was familiar to Otoya. The firewood no longer had to be conserved so carefully, Ren dumped most of it in the fire. The fire, once it caught hold of the dried-out wood, boomed. They needed all the light they could get if they were to work through the night.

There were still too many boards to tie together and there weren’t nearly enough vines weaved together. Otoya cursed at himself for slacking off and taking an easy pace in the days prior. If he had worked while taking care of Tokiya, even a little bit, they would have been further along than they were.

The moon rose higher in the sky. Reinforcements were called in the form of Masato. The blue merman seemed reluctant to leave the safety of the water but he dragged himself up the beach at Ren’s request. It was the first time that Otoya really saw him and that wasn’t saying much since he still stayed elusive under the cover of the night. But the results were undeniable. Masato’s fingers were dexterous, making short work of their lack of rope. Coils of vines were ready to be used by the time dawn’s light broke over the horizon. He never complained once, throwing himself into his work. His eyes flashed unnaturally, glaring when the light of the fire hit them just right.

Tokiya did his part too, joining Masato. The difference between them was apparent but Tokiya replacing Otoya on the vine weaving meant that the redhead could pair with Ren to put holes in the boards. They were being notched into the very corners and just enough to tie the boards together. Too big and they’d let water in. Too small and the vines couldn’t go through. 

They let the fire die as the morning sunlight washed over the island. The first rays of the day brought with them sleep deprivation and hunger. None were afforded the opportunity to rest in the night. Masato had spoken up without prompting, confirming Ai’s story. 

Apparently, the volcano came to life unpredictably and shattered life on the island. Thick, plumes of ash were coughed up from its depths and legions of fish rose to the surface, already dead. The temperature of the surrounding waters increased and when the lava flowed, it destroyed everything in its path. With no way to measure how bad it was going to be every single time, getting as far away as possible was the only option.

There may have been a chance as at sea getaway at one point, if Tokiya were healthy. The raft wouldn’t have needed to be so well constructed if Otoya and Ren had their two guides. But with Tokiya left incapacitated, a shoddy raft didn’t cut it anymore. It had to breach getting out to sea first, that would be the hard part. It wouldn't end there either. There would be no obstruction from the sun on the open ocean. There would be no water, the salt water would be useless. If they got caught in a storm, that would be the end of them. It seemed like no matter what they would try to do, nature would find a way to be deadly.

To Otoya, it made him question if humans were really supposed to exist on this planet.

When a deep, grinding sound picked up, everyone stopped.

“What was that?” Otoya had asked no one in particular, panicked, but he sure as hell didn’t want an answer. 

The island answered him by spitting up a thin stream of ash and rock right from the mouth of the volcano. It was a minor eruption. If Otoya didn’t know any better, he would have thought that the ash was a strange cloud. It loomed up in the air, billowing out into the atmosphere. There was single spurt and it fell silent.

“… Was that it?” It was a little underwhelming. Otoya had been expecting a hellfire rain of lava and rock and a suffocating plume of ash. When seconds passed and there was no new activity, he sort of felt cheated. 

“Likely not.” Masato was still on the shore and answered Otoya. Now that they had two mermen to keep hydrated, their water reserves were scraping the bottom of the barrel. But no one had an extra minute to make a trip to the spring. They wouldn’t need to drink any water if they were already dead, after all. “It’s been," he paused, likely thinking through the passage of time in his head, "a while."

He didn’t have anything to say to that so Otoya nodded. From notching all night, there was a pile of shavings at his feet. He had messed up one or two holes along the way, either making them too big or cracking the board so they didn’t form an enclosed hole at all, but he had to push on. Here was where perfectionism could get them in real trouble. They had to be smart about this, they had to think. Work quickly but correctly, mistakes would only kill them later. Otoya may already be screwed on that front but he didn't linger on it. Keep moving, paralysis would only set in from overthinking. 

Lowering his head, Otoya forced himself to focus. He had been in plenty of messes before and he got out of all of them. This one would be no different. He put the board he had just finished aside and reached for another one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find natural disasters to be very interesting, part of the reason why I included one in this story. Nature is a powerful force, not one to be taken lightly.
> 
> The chapter update on Friday of this week will have some disturbing themes. I will mention these at the start of the chapter and if anyone is uncomfortable, they can skip that chapter. Once again, I will summarize the main plot points in the following chapter so anyone that skipped the chapter on Friday can still be caught up with the story. I won't mention what exactly happens due to the type of themes yet but there are going to be some mature themes coming up.
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	30. Ticking Down Towards Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise update Tuesday!! This is a super mini chapter cause I didn't think it fit with Monday or Wednesday's chapter. Plus, surprises are kinda nice, ya?
> 
> There are only a handful of chapters left to go! Maybe like another week of updates at their regularly scheduled times? I hope everyone is looking forward to the conclusion of the story!
> 
> Made on 01/30/2020.

By midday, Ren was starting to string the boards together. They clacked as he stacked them, trying to make sense of the best way to put them together. Stack them so it sits a little higher out of the water? Or spread them out so they cover more surface? The boards were in limited supply so he couldn’t afford to mess it up. When Otoya was asked, he thought that making a bigger raft than a higher one would be better.

“But wouldn’t that mean it’s easier to break apart?” Ren countered with this point and Otoya thought for a second. The redhead switched his opinion and the raft was made to be higher but with less room.

All through the day, Otoya kept an uneasy eye on the volcano. It was a feature of the island that had seemed so harmless before. It was frustrating that it came alive when it did. If Otoya had been the same person he’d been when he first washed up, he might have wailed and said how hopeless it was to try anything to avoid their almost certain fate.

But he wasn’t alone. He had Ren. He had Tokiya. He had, sure he wasn’t close to Masato and he didn’t even remember the other’s name until recently but Otoya had Masato too. It would be enough, he was sure.

As long as they stuck together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's update will be a big one for a single piece of information.
> 
> See you Wednesday for sure this time!!


	31. Of Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if they can escape the hands of fate. The clock is winding down. They're almost out of time. Some already are.
> 
> Sing me a song of silence.
> 
> Made on 01/30/2020.

Running on little sleep was rough. Being caught in a high-octane environment staved it off but Otoya was sure he had dozed off at least once. For instance, he was sure that the sun was still in the sky the last time his eyes were open.

In front of him, the embers of the fire cackled. It was a dying fire, the branches that were thrown in were burnt to ashes and streaked white. They were breaking up and disintegrating before his eyes. There was movement on his right side and he looked over. It was Tokiya, who seemed to be watching him. Ren and Masato had vanished.

“Where’d they go? How long was I out?” What was going on with the volcano? Did they still have time? The moonlight was a tease, not providing nearly enough light for Otoya to watch the top of the volcano. But he didn’t have to. A powerful tremor made its way up from miles beneath where Otoya and Tokiya sat, rocking them. The earthquakes and aftershocks had started up in the afternoon. This one only lasted a few seconds.

A wispy, cracking noise came from Tokiya’s direction. Like the sound of dried out fish skin. “They left in the evening. You’ve been sleeping since before that.” The flaking sound got stronger the more Tokiya moved towards Otoya, sliding through the sand. “You needed your rest so I didn’t wake you.”

(On the contrary. Tokiya had spent the day making sure Otoya didn’t wake. When the screaming started in the evening, disrupting the twilight atmosphere, he had been bent over Otoya’s body. To ensure the human didn’t awaken, Tokiya whispered melodies in his ear meanwhile telling himself that there was nothing Otoya could do to stop it. The other human’s fate had been sealed the moment Masato saw him. There was nothing that could be done. The more arguments Ren picked with the other merman, the more likely that this was how they were going to end up. There was nothing he could do to stop it.)

The sound was new. It wasn’t the grumbling of the volcano waking up and it wasn’t the growling of his own stomach. Otoya couldn’t place it until he saw glittering scales littering the ground around Tokiya, catching the dying fire.

“You’re drying out! Where’s the water?” Jumping up gave Otoya a head rush. The world spun and he shook his head to right himself. Where was the water barrel? The familiar object was planted in the sand steps away. Otoya stumbled over and threw his upper body over the edge. He extended a hand down, unable to feel his fingers skim the surface. “We don’t have any left?” 

“There’s nothing to be done about that.” It was a fact that Tokiya had come to terms with before Otoya, apparently. “We have bigger problems to worry about. I can manage this.” Swallowing, the news that they had run out of water had Otoya thirstier than ever. Thinking quickly, he told Tokiya to stay put while he ran to the wreckage of the ship.

His goal was the coconuts they had harvested. He had to fumble around in the darkness before feeling them, their shapes gave them away. Rounder and softer than any rock, Otoya tucked two under his arms and darted back towards the only manmade source of light on the beach.

One for him, one for Tokiya. The knife made short work of the outer layer, Otoya hacked away with practised ease. He cracked one and passed it to Tokiya, who sniffed at the insides. Making short work of his own, Otoya slurped away at the milky treat. It worked to satisfy his thirst and he brought his mouth away with a loud sound of satisfaction. 

“Have you never had coconut before?” Tokiya still hadn’t taken a sip. Otoya didn’t know that the merman was the picky type. “It’s really good, it’s sweet!” 

Hesitantly, Tokiya tipped his head back to sample it. “It’s… Not bad.” So, his merman was a picky eater, huh? But he tried it for Otoya and that had him feeling warm. When it occurred to him that Tokiya likely hadn’t had a proper, human meal in years, he had a promise.

“When we get off this island, I’ll cook for you.” It was a type of vow, swore before the moon. “I’ll make you all my favourites. I’m pretty good at making curry stew!” When Otoya had to pitch in for cooking duty, curry was his main dish. It was simple to make and could be made with whatever they had on hand so it was a staple. “Have you had it before?”

“I don’t believe I have.” Tokiya looked positively aglow and it made Otoya stare. “I was usually given other fruits and wine, or honey. I didn’t cook for myself.” After a second, he added, “I may have had a reputation for being selective about my food.” 

So, they were different in that regard, huh? Otoya would eat anything he could get his hands on, a mindset that he took on when he was younger, while Tokiya was served and had the option of turning his nose up without going hungry. Otoya couldn’t help but wonder if they had met under different circumstances if they would have gotten along.

Something told him that it wouldn’t matter under what sky the two of them met that they would have fallen in love just the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am once again reminding you that the next update, the one on Friday, will have some disturbing themes. I will outline these themes at the start of the chapter. They may make some people uncomfortable so don't feel like you have to read the chapter! The next chapter is the only one in a different point of view. It's from Natsuki's point of view, since Otoya left him. We will also get confirmation on how the sirens were created.
> 
> We did get some brief thoughts from Toki in this chapter though I'm not sure how many of you wanted to hear them.
> 
> There was something that was unintentionally implied in this chapter. You could take Toki drying out one of two ways. Either he is just physically drying out due to lack of water or you could also argue that he's starting to lose his scales. 
> 
> See you Friday!


	32. Fractured Catalyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are disturbing themes in this chapter. They include **mentions of violence, cannibalism, and suicide**. If you are not comfortable with any of these themes, feel free to skip this chapter. I will summarize the plot points at the start of Monday's chapter! I will also discuss them at the end of this chapter if you don't want to wait for Monday.
> 
> This chapter is from Natsuki's point of view.
> 
> Made on 01/30/2020.

Natsuki returned to an empty nest. Well, it wasn’t completely empty if he counted the decaying body already in it. But his second prey was gone. The first emotion to course through him was outrage. 

It presented itself horribly. He tore apart his nest, scattering the branches and feathers all throughout the cave. The remaining parts of the body were next. He used his talons and hands to rip through rotting muscle and flesh. If this had been a fresh kill, he would have been covered in blood. But seeing how this was old, about two weeks old, the blood had already been drained for the most part. 

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

It was Natsuki that claimed his island. It was his. Everything on it was his prey. He had hunted all of the natural predators to extinction. So, that meant that this island was now his. But with the removal of the top of the food chain, the prey animals boomed. He was the only one that kept them in check. Him and him alone.

The clicking noise followed him as he paced in his cave, his hands in his hair. Did his prey jump? His first catch didn’t even though the short blond had considered it. Natsuki was able to coax him back every time, taking another piece of him as he did. First had been a finger or two before Natsuki moved onto somewhere meatier. Biting down on the tiny sailor’s shoulder caused a wonderful reaction, so much shouting and squirming. It had gotten the siren all excited, his prey was so cute.

By the time Natsuki sunk his teeth into a thigh, the sailor had fallen quiet. It certainly made it easier for him to eat in peace. He had probably died sometime that night, never making it back to his friends. That was fine for Natsuki, who played with the body after, acting like the human was still alive.

But now he was alone again.

That caused his mood to plummet. He stopped pacing and flopped onto his stomach. His mood changed as easily as the weather. His wings bounced from the force and settled back on his body. They fanned over him as he lay moping. That was how he stayed for the entire day. Refusing to move from the floor of his cave. Another day passed and he remained immobile. 

Until the moon lured him out.

It was a full moon. Natsuki had always loved the moon and the stars. It made him loopy with happiness and gave him a sense of clear thinking. As he stepped off the cliff that houses his nest and flew into the air, he kept the moon in view at all times. This was the clearest his head had been in a while and as he landed on the northern beach, he examined his body.

He never used to have these, wings, these talons. How many years ago did his body change? He had to count it in decades, over half a century. Or was it closer to an entire century? There were gaps in his memory, entire years if not more. A melancholy mood fell over him, washing over him just like the moonlight. 

What had he done while he wasn’t himself? He had come to his senses before, in the middle of committing atrocities that he didn’t dare speak of. It was too stressful to think about, what he’d done. To his friends, to strangers, to that blond sailor, to the redhead that followed…

Natsuki hugged himself, bottom lip quivering. The things he’d done, he’d never forgive himself. He could fool himself that it had all been for survival, his own survival, but he knew better. Something inside him was broken, long before he washed up on the shores of this island.

Oh, remembering how he arrived at his fate made him wail. Not that anyone could tell now but he had been a sailor in the days of old. He mapped the stars, interested in finding the fastest shipping routes all through the tropical waters. There weren’t many ships in his days and when one went down, no search parties were launched.

But Natsuki had survived his wreck, along with others. He ran through all the motions that he sees play out over and over again with each new wreck near the island. The shelter, the water, the food.

Only there was no food.

The predators were fierce. They had agility, claws, teeth, and stealth. Retreating into the water wasn’t an option, the sharks were waiting. They were picked off one by one. Natsuki stayed awake for entire days at a time, his mind had started to work in weird ways. He was a helper, a lover. He wasn’t a fighter. 

But he was starving, sunstroked, and delirious. 

He had gotten to the last three survivors before the predators did. It wasn’t his fault, he told himself over and over again, he would have died if he hadn’t eaten them. It wasn’t his fault, it had to be this way. It wasn’t his fault, curse fate if they were looking someone to blame.

Once that sin had been committed, his body changed. He became inhuman, a monster. He retreated in horror to a cave on the northern tip of the island, isolating himself. But the humans didn’t stop coming. It may have taken years, but they would show up in desperate need of help. To Natsuki, they were just free meals. 

Others had followed in his footsteps. He stayed away from them. It hurt to see how twisted his body had become compared to their relatively human ones. He cried in shame and screamed in resentment, cycling through an endless loop.

He had never meant to hurt anyone. He used to be gentle, he swore it. He’d never hurt a fly. This wasn’t who he was. He became a product of his circumstances, nothing more. People never used to be afraid of him but now, they run from him. They treated him exactly how he looked, an abomination. 

Natsuki looked up at the sky. It was a perfect night for stargazing. He knew all the constellations in this part of the sky, he could name them in his sleep. If he had to die, he’d want it to be under the stars.

Spreading his wings, he gained lift and soared back into the sky. He had a destination in mind.

He was fortunate in that regard. He could choose his own death. He didn’t drown in a shipwreck, he didn’t die by infection or disease, he didn’t get torn apart by a half-crazed siren. It would be better this way, he reasoned to himself. If he didn’t do it now, who knows how much terror he’d inflict before coming to his senses again.

Natsuki had crested in the sky, right above the volcano crater. From this unique vantage point, he got the only look at what was going on within. The magma, forced up from the bowels of the earth, churned. It was active and boiling. The siren could feel the heat even at the height he was at in the sky.

Letting himself feel the joy of flight for one moment longer, he let himself start to fall. It was improperly earned, the right of flight, so Natsuki wouldn’t indulge in it for a second longer. Gravity pulled him down, making him gain speed as he fell. If he had managed it right, he’d land in the centre of the volcano.

He had hoped to see the moon the entire way down but he lost it once he fell past the opening of the volcano. He didn’t deter. He knew that even if he couldn’t see it, the moon was watching him in his final moments.

He was at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was always a scene I had in mind for this story. While I never openly say or mention Satsuki, I think it can be pretty obvious that I'm switching between the two subtly. Natsuki was fully intact before he washed up on the island but the strain, isolation, and things that he did drove him crazy. But he loves the moon and the full moon calmed him (the opposite of what it did to Masa). He realized he hurt Otoya and Syo and who knows who else so he took his own life before he could hurt anyone else. That is another thing I want to mention for sure. Syo was dead for the majority of the story (after chapter 1). Otoya still hopes but Syo isn't coming back.
> 
> Which, brings me to my next conclusion. We got the lore on the mermen some chapters ago but this was where we got the lore on the sirens. It was implied in some previous chapters. It was through cannibalism, something that Natsuki, Ai, and Cecil all did. It was only to survive but it twisted their bodies in ways they didn't anticipate. Don't worry though, only Natsuki kept up the habit after due to his mind coming apart. That is also why there were other humans on the island previously but they aren't there anymore. And remember when Toki assured Otoya that he would never turn out like that? That's cause Otoya never had a chance to reach that point of desperation.
> 
> See you Monday!


	33. Say your last words now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot points from the last chapter in case you skipped it are: we get confirmation that Syo was the one Natsuki first picked up at the start of the story. Syo is dead and has been for the vast majority of the story. Natsuki reflects on his actions and life, showing remorse when he steadies his thoughts (moving away from Satsuki and back to Natsuki). He decided to end his own life before he does anything else that could hurt anyone. He drops himself into the active volcano. Also, we get confirmation that the sirens were created through cannibalism, a curse for their forbidden actions.
> 
> This is the climax of the entire story. Something that really drives home how much Otoya doesn't know about the other character's actions is evident at the start of this chapter. All he knows is that the volcano suddenly got more active overnight. He doesn't know what Natsuki did and never will. It was a sacrifice that was made in the dead of night and will go unnoticed forever. No matter what Natsuki did while he was human, it's going to get overwritten and he'll only live on as a monster in Otoya's nightmares. That's... Kind of sad, isn't it?
> 
> Chapter title loosely based on Say It Now by We The Kings.
> 
> Made on 01/30/2020.

The volcano’s activity picked up during the night. When the moon was highest in the sky, there was roaring like a beast untamed. Flames shot up, lighting up the night. The first explosion was the largest, soaring up high into the sky. It never quieted down though the barrage didn’t let up. There was bubbling as molten rock was brought up to the surface and expelled.

By the midmorning, it was clear that something had changed. The ash thrown up at dawn was coming down like snow. It dusted Otoya’s hair, making him shake it out. It was relatively thin at the moment but if it got thicker, the air would be full of the pale mush. But that was just one of the problems Otoya had to deal with.

He hadn’t seen Ren all morning.

No, to be precise, he hadn’t seen Ren since yesterday. Masato had also vanished. As such, progress on the raft had stalled. Two people could only do so much and it was only about halfway done. The volcano was erupting at a near constant pace, spewing gravel and rocks of a modest size. They fell close to the base of the volcano or on the slopes, cushioned by the dense jungle.

Otoya had taken to running up and down the beach, calling out Ren’s name. He checked the washed-up hull first but his shouts had echoed in the empty chamber. Next was the shoreline around the ship but no one answered him. He bellowed out to the sea, inhaling fallen ash at one point and he ended up choking on it.

There was a chance that Ren and Masato were on the west shore, where Otoya himself had woken up. He clamoured down the oceanfront, sticking close to where the sand was moist to get more traction, continuously yelling. 

But he was wasting his breath. Without any time left to spare, Otoya booked it back to where he left Tokiya. “I can’t find them.” His hands were on his knees, he had to bend over to pant and catch his breath. He hadn’t run like that in a while, the ash-air mix burned in his lungs. “I don’t know where they are. I can’t find them.” 

The look on Tokiya’s face reflected the turbulence Otoya was feeling. Their concerns matched, both anxious over the disappearing act. Neither voiced it, but it was there. The restlessness took hold of their hearts, drowning out everything else. If they fractured their group now, it was even more unlikely that they would survive this.

Covering his mouth with an arm, Otoya coughed. It was getting harder to breathe, harder to see. The raining of ash was clinging to him, getting into his clothes. He could only imagine how it felt on Tokiya but the electrifying itch under his skin let him know well enough.

“We can’t stay here.” Tokiya raised his voice, having to yell to be heard. “We need to go.” 

But go where? The aftershocks made the ocean aggressive. They had a shot in the dark of getting out on the raft in the calmest of seas, sailing the raft onto them now would be akin to suicide. Tokiya was injured, they needed Masato’s bulk and sense of guidance to be the steering. Once on the water, the humans would be effectively useless, reliant on the two mermen more than ever. 

“No. We can’t leave without them.” Otoya adamantly refused. He wouldn’t leave his friends behind. Especially not Ren, who helped Otoya out after all this time. If something happened to Ren and Otoya left him behind, he’d never forgive himself. This was the time to band together.

Tokiya rolled over, pushing what they had worked on forward with his arms. “Let’s get it ready, at least. I need to warm up while there is still time.” Otoya agreed to that and helped to slide the boards into the water. It didn’t really float, the salty water was already splashing over it and pushing the boards down. 

Then the merman slithered into the water, propelled by his hands. He flinched when the water lapped at the wound, still much too recent for him to be swimming. But Tokiya pushed forward, babying his body in the shallow water. With a flourish, he dove, ignoring the waves with ease under the water.

Otoya was left alone on the bank. He busied himself with thinking positive thoughts about their missing members and keeping the raft afloat. If only they had more time, it would have been able to bob with the waves easier. If they had been able to make it bigger, higher, more secured, would it have helped? If only the ocean wasn’t in the middle of a tantrum.

He hadn’t even made it onto the boards before it sunk.

It was no match for the angry sea. It was too hastily made and incomplete. Their only chance of escape just broke up before his eyes, boards returning to being washed up along the shore.

“No, no, no, damn it!” Otoya’s cry was drowned out by the volcano. A boulder was kicked up and out of the volcano, sailing through the air and being brought down a few meters from where Otoya stood. It was larger than anything Otoya could hope to move by himself and it had nearly crushed him. Another crashed further out into the ocean. A third came down on the sand further down the beach. They littered down, weighed down by gravity and the intent to kill.

Turning around, Otoya’s heart nearly stopped. All of the dense undergrowth and trees that were growing on the sides of the volcano were catching fire. Lava oozed down the slope and the vegetation practically melted away. To make matters worse, the smoke it sent up mixed with the ash already in the air. Particulates were blown around, making Otoya lift his shirt up to cover his mouth.

It blinded him. If Tokiya appeared in front of him, within reach, Otoya doubted he would have been able to see the other man. Otoya bent down, making himself a smaller target. He had to wait until Tokiya got back. He would know what to do. With the only escape they had ruined, swimming out into the open sea might be Otoya’s only option. If he stayed on shore, he would surely be roasted alive. But that would only slow Tokiya down and Otoya would never do that to him.

Down on his knees, he focused on breathing calmly. His heartbeat resonated with Tokiya’s and Otoya felt a pang go through him. If he wasn't already on his knees, he would likely have been sent crashing down on them. It was something unexpected, chilling. Tokiya’s heart was racing, something had spooked him.

The merman returned to Otoya minutes later, splashing up in a hurry. “What happened?” He referred to the broken-up boat that they had all worked so diligently on for hours. The choppy waters tossed his body around, nearly knocking Tokiya off balance. He spat out sea water that managed to get in his mouth.

“It broke. Water was too much for it.” Otoya picked his head out of his knees, levelling his head with Tokiya. “What happened with you?”

The silence was telling. Otoya prodded, tears springing to his eyes. He knew it couldn’t have been good news, not with the way Tokiya had reacted to it. “Tell me, what was down there?”

Tokiya told him quietly. “Ren isn’t coming back. I found his body at the bottom of the sea.” 

Gone were the chances of them all making it out alive. Even if Syo and Ranmaru were somewhere on the island, uninjured, they would be unable to escape the natural disaster without supernatural help. This sealed their fate as much as it sealed Otoya’s. This island would be their grave.

Wet tears streaked Otoya’s cheeks. More rubble rained down from above. The outbreak of fires was audible, coupled with the sound of trees falling and branches snapping. The fresh moisture was perfect for ash and soot to stick to Otoya’s face, making his face dirty. 

He was allowed to grieve even with the world falling apart around him. Tokiya allowed him to mourn his friend. A numbness filled him. He was facing his moment of reckoning and he would face it alone.

He pushed Tokiya away. “Go. While you still have a chance.” His lack of fins and lack of wings would be the end of him. It would be his humanity that would kill him, after all. He always figured it would, whether it be in Natsuki's nest or here. The only question was, would he die crushed by flying debris or would he be burned to death? Which was the more merciful death?

A gust of wind blew more soot on his face. But this gust wasn’t like the others. Otoya could barely make out who had landed on the beach next to them, confusion never having a chance to rise to fear. He knelt in the wet sand, ignoring the late arrival to focus on breathing.

“Why are you still here?” Ai’s cool tone was welcome relief against the pressing heat wave. Otoya squinted, the rising temperature was making him dizzy. “I told you to leave.”

“Take him.” Otoya couldn’t make out all of what Tokiya was saying. There was a pounding in his ears, blurring words together. The heat was pressing against him, his skin felt dry and burnt. The words didn't register with him. “Take him and get out of here.”

Pleading with Ai, Tokiya laid it all out on the line. Otoya wouldn’t survive if he stayed here and the only way off the island was through the air. “Take him somewhere, anywhere.” The merman begged the siren shamelessly. “Please. It’s his only chance.” 

Ai stayed quiet, judging. His eyes narrowed, sweeping over Otoya’s form, still crumpled in the surf. “You may not see each other again.” Otoya didn’t owe the siren anything. Did Tokiya? The creature could very well refuse with no skin off his back. Another cough squeezed its way out of Otoya's chest, his chest felt hot in the worst way. There was no way he hadn't swallowed embers by now, burning him from the inside. Each breath felt too shallow, there was no oxygen left on the island. Every last molecule went straight to feeding the fires breaking out.

He wouldn't last.

Otoya’s heart sobbed. Being separated from Tokiya now, he really would die if that happened. He wouldn’t leave Tokiya behind. There would be no guarantee that he was strong enough to swim through the upturned, topsy turvy seas. If Otoya were to survive and Tokiya didn’t, he’d go mad. 

But through their connection, he knew that Tokiya felt the same way.

They clasped hands together, pressing their foreheads together. It had become an intimate gesture, more so than a kiss. They breathed each other’s air, sending it right into their chests. Their noses rubbed, Otoya got soot on Tokiya’s pale face. So many words came to mind, bursting forth in Otoya's mind. How thankful he was, how much love he had, how he wished they didn't have to meet under these circumstances, how much he hurt. But with so little time and so much to say, he had to make it count. These last words would be what keep him going, until they meet again.

“I’ll find you again.” Tokiya promised.

“I’ll live until you do.” Otoya promised.

Those were the last words said that could be heard. The volcano threw up more lava, painting the sky a darkened red. The sky was bleeding, spilling out into the horizon. If they were to leave, this was the absolute last moment they could do so. Ai locked his arms around Otoya and took to the skies. Otoya quickly lost Tokiya’s form due to all the ash blocking the air.

He could only hope that fate would be kind to them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only way to be able to get off that island was through the air. That is why Ai plays a critical role here. We also learn for sure that Ren is dead. When Reiji left, that was the last opportunity Ren had for getting off the island alive. So, the total amount of dead characters is now: Natsuki, Ren, Syo, and Ran. We're kinda running out of our main boys here, huh. Good thing we have another seven man group that I haven't pulled from yet.
> 
> My boyfriend 2000% did not believe me when I told him Ren was going to die. I literally told him "Ren is going to die" and his only response was "no he won't". It should be noted that Ren and Syo are some of his best boys in Utapri, along with Ai. RIP. My top 3 favs are Masa, Reiji, and Natsuki and it's not like they did so hot either.
> 
> There's going to be a timeskip from here. It will be short, about two years. We'll catch up with what Otoya has been doing in the meantime. The next chapter will be the last one for the main story. I can answer some questions now such as yes, Otoya does leave the island. The real question to ask is; does he see Tokiya again?
> 
> See you Wednesday!


	34. It Finds a Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't make playlists so I have all of my music mixed together on my phone, all 600 songs. A few days ago, If You Only Knew by Shinedown came on and I just. I wonder if it was a subconscious influence on this story. Whether it was or not, this is how Otoya is feeling:
> 
> It's 4:03 and I can't sleep  
> Without you next to me I  
> Toss and turn like the sea  
> If I drown tonight, bring me back to life  
> Breathe your breath in me  
> The only thing that I still believe  
> In is you, if you only knew
> 
> Made on 01/30/2020.

Not a day passed that he didn’t think of Tokiya.

It had been exactly two years, nine months, and twenty-three days since Otoya left the island. 

He was the captain of a small vessel now, its crew no more than three. His clothing was clean, no longer stained with salt or soot. He had fitted boots to wear and even a hat to cover his red hair. Otoya never did return to his hometown or anywhere near it. The fact that he was alive would mean people would come after him again.

He started a life somewhere new. It was easier than he had thought, with no living previous ties to his old one. He was a diligent worker and was gifted the diminutive boat when its previous captain got a better offer. It was an older model and run down but he was proud to call it his.

That was where he was currently. Each day began and ended aboard the ship, if it could even be called that. Otoya had the captain’s room to himself. It was a cramped room but was enough for him. He had a window and area for his clothing. There was some furniture that was handed down and Otoya couldn’t remove it if he wanted to, it came with the ship. But he had splurged and gotten a mirror. Otoya wasn’t vain by any means but watching himself change fascinated him.

Tokiya had seen something in him. Otoya wanted to know what that was for himself.

The bond he had shared with the merman had slowly disappeared. There was a terrible feeling of loneliness once it vanished, like the last connection with his former life had gone away. He had collapsed that day. He didn’t know if Tokiya had died but he remained positive. He had to.

The scar never went away on the back of his right calf. It healed into a jagged memory, causing anyone who saw it to ask the story. Otoya always gave them the same explanation, one that was never the truth. He didn’t care to keep his story straight; it changed each time he told it. He could never tell the truth to anyone; they’d think him insane.

But he remained as upbeat as ever, that was something that Otoya couldn’t lie about. That was the main component of his personality.

His days were peaceful. Due to the size of his vessel, he was able to whip between the coastal towns with ease, delivering messages and supplies. The tropics were his home and even though he could never return to the place of his birth, he made do with other town and cities. 

There were upsides. Different towns had different traditions, different delicacies. He had a tendency to avoid any meals involving fish, which caused him relentless teasing from his two crewmates. But Otoya took it in stride, never saying what he had faced.

It was hard to hide what happened to him. On the nights it would overwhelm him, Otoya retreated to his cabin. Without someone to talk to, there were few things he could do to cope. By morning, he had to wipe his tears and plaster a smile on his face. If he was speaking honestly, the more time that passed, the easier it got in some regards.

But each day without Tokiya was hell.

“Morning, cap. Thought you were going to sleep the day away.” Once Otoya left his room, he was greeted Eiichi already up on the deck. The older brunet was invaluable to Otoya as a mentor and a friend. “Big night out on the town last night? Meet anyone speci—"

“Don’t tease the captain like that!” A second brunet popped his head up on the deck. It was Eiji, the younger brother of Eiichi. The two were local to this area and Otoya was very fond of the brothers. The younger was easy to get along with while the older challenged Otoya daily. The two butted heads in the best way and Otoya was thankful for the guidance.

Otoya laughed, he knew the two had schemes to set him up with someone. He had been on the receiving end of too many elbows from Eiichi and nudges from Eiji for it to be a coincidence. Little did they know that his heart had been stolen years before. “We set sail at noon. Is the cargo stored?”

Their cargo this time was spices. Packed into barrels, the seasonings were secured within the belly of the ship. Their goal was to deliver them to a main island full of ports for trading. It was a delivery sealed by a contact days before. Otoya had to check them himself before they set off but judging by the height of the sun in the sky, they still had a good hour go.

He took a moment to stare out at the horizon. It was unchanging, no matter where he was in the world. The view never bored him; it was too amazing to accomplish that. He heard Eiji call out to someone on the pier. They were docked, whoever it was likely wanted to confirm their departing time. He let the brothers handle it, that’s partly what a crew was for.

The salt air and sea spray were fresh on his face, the waves crested against the boat to send up the moisture. Otoya leaned against the railing, letting the boat rock him. It was a comforting feeling, the security of knowing that he was safe on the ship and not at the mercy of the sea.

It took a moment before Otoya realized he was being called. Eiichi had to cross the deck and come up right beside Otoya before he realized his attention was wanted. “Huh?” It was a very dignified response for a captain.

“Ey, cap! There’s someone asking for you.” The taller man seemed smug, like he knew something Otoya didn’t. Though, to be fair, that was also his resting face. “It’s a real pretty boy.”

That didn’t tell Otoya much. Eiichi referred to men as pretty boys and women as pretty girls. He had the kind of personality that rubbed some people the wrong way but Otoya found him alright. The sailor could be protective over Otoya, the redhead had even seen him punch a guy for him. But their relationship was strong and friendly. “What’s his name?”

“Didn’t give one. Seems he’s been asking around for a man with red hair and someone sent him here.” Eiichi seemed aloof but the man could be smart as whip. “Why, someone been giving you trouble?” 

Otoya waved him off. “Nothing like that.” Those sorts of questions raised Otoya’s suspicions. He became infinitely more aware of his odd colour of hair after returning from the island. It truly was a unique shade to have. “Thanks, I’ll go take care of it.” There was always a chance that Reiji found out Otoya was still alive. But Otoya would have to deal with that for as long as he lived so he refused to let the fear of living his life consume him.

He crossed the deck in strides and clattered over the board serving as a bridge between the ship and the shore. Eiji had his back to him as Otoya approached. The sailor was talking to a man who looked confused but Otoya recognized him instantly.

There was no chance that Otoya was wrong about this man’s identity. He had stared at him for too long, every feature of this man’s face was imprinted deep in Otoya’s mind. He had a fondness for his nose, his hands, his lips. He had traced the curve of that jaw, those ears, that chest too many times to ever forget.

And even though he sported two distinct legs, Otoya would know those eyes anywhere.

The eyes of a misty gray morning.

Breaking out into a run, Otoya collided full force with Tokiya, who managed to catch him. They held each other impossibly tight, making up for every second of lost time.

“Found you.”

“I’m here.”

It has been zero years, zero months, and zero days since Otoya last saw Tokiya. 

May they never be separated again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was the last chapter! Oh, you say, but the story still isn't marked completed? Oho! By making it this far, you have unlocked the bonus chapter!! It can be considered an epilogue, where I am going to wrap things up. If you've been wondering about things or felt like I didn't give enough closure to some other stuff, this is where I will hopefully put those things to rest! We will also get a look at how Tokiya is adjusting, how Otoya handles it, and some domestic-y stuff with them.
> 
> I have never written HEAVENS until now so using Eiichi and Eiji is kind of exciting~ I think they'll be the only ones to appear though from that group. Baby steps!
> 
> As of posting this chapter, the bonus chapter isn't ready yet. I decided to include it after I started posting this story so I've been working on it on and off the past month. Maybe I can post it by Otoya's birthday on Saturday, that's my current deadline I am aiming for! It's a little long, likely around 10k words if I had to guess, so it may push me past that date!
> 
> See you soon!


	35. True Blue Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back and welcome to the final chapter in the story! This chapter contains **explicit sex** so be sure to read the updated tags! This ended up being just short of 15k words so I went over my initial estimate. I really took my time with writing this so I hope that came through! My ending authors note will be on the longer side so I would appreciate it if you read that after this last chapter!
> 
> Made on ~03/2020 - 04/18/2020.

Hands gripping impossibly tight, Otoya held onto Tokiya for the world to see.

They clung together in the broad daylight, neither wanting to be the first to let go. There was a rush of emotion, going straight to both their heads. Otoya’s legs shook and somewhere in the back of is mind, he found it ironic that between the two of them, it should be his own legs to fail.

Tokiya was taller than him. It was shocking in its own right that Otoya hadn’t thought much about it, how they’d fit together when upright. He had to lean upwards, putting his weight on his toes. The arms that encircled his waist were low on his back, pressing him closer. Otoya found that his head cleared Tokiya’s shoulder with ease and that his lips could almost reach the other man’s ear. There was no doubt that Tokiya could hear his erratic breathing.

Pulling back, Otoya kept his hands in Tokiya’s shirt. They clutched the material like a lifeline, stretching the shirt out. His mouth fell open as his eyes flickered between all of the features on Tokiya’s face. They were the same here as they were on the island minus some of the more inhuman features. Though half hidden behind his hair, Otoya could see that his ears returned to normal. That prompted Otoya to check Tokiya’s hands as well, to see if the webbing had removed itself from between his fingers.

“This a friend of yours then, I take it?” Eiichi’s question reminded Otoya that the world ended up being his crew. They both stood side by side, watching the scene play out. From what they could tell, their captain was very good friends with this newcomer.

A smile graced Otoya’s face naturally, still not over the shock of Tokiya’s sudden appearance. His heart was beating a mile a minute and he was sure it showed in his voice. “Yeah, yeah. This is, Tokiya.” Shaky at best, Otoya was sure his eyes were blown wide. He kept cutting himself off, head twitching when he did. He was sure he looked half crazed.

Eiichi motioned back to the ship with a jerk of his chin. “Is he going to come aboard then? We’ve got to be setting off soon.”

Connected through their hands, Otoya led Tokiya onboard his ship.

Taking inventory of the cargo didn’t go as smoothly as expected. Otoya was all over the place. He had to be reminded that the spices they were carrying were cinnamon, black pepper, and paprika. They were separated into their individual containers and yet, Otoya kept losing track. He had to retrace his steps multiple times in the cramped cargo hold.

“We got the, the pepper in those ones over there.” A hand was waved in a vague direction and Otoya checked the item off his checklist. It was less of an official list and more of a scrap piece of paper that detailed the shipment. His handwriting left much to be desired but it got the point across. “Or were they over there…?” He had to squint at the paper in the low lighting, barely making out his own words.

Otoya spun around in his own cargo hold. He blinked rapidly, not fully focused. It made Tokiya, who was also down there, laugh. The sound made Otoya rub the back of his neck, all giddy. Originally, Otoya had suggested that Tokiya be the one to mark down the inventory. He could mark down what Otoya called out to him and work as a team. But Tokiya was unable to write, the lack of the skill made him look embarrassed. The redhead hurriedly insisted that he could do all the work and that Tokiya could just keep him company. Otoya wanted to wrap it up as soon as possible, it was dusty and dark down there. There was an underlying smell of damp wood.

“This is the cinnamon.” Otoya was about to mark something down when he paused. “Or, is this the paprika?” He had to pop the lids off the barrels to check the contents so he dipped a finger in to withdraw some of the fine powder. A taste had his face twist into a grimace. “It’s the cinnamon.” He coughed once, sticking his tongue out.

Tokiya stood by the steps down into the cargo hold. He was well used to being an observer, behind the scenes. He watched as Otoya flit around before coming to a stop. “All done?” 

“I think so. We’ve got everything,” Otoya held up the piece of paper, “so we should be all ready to go.” He approached the stairs back up to the deck, passing Tokiya and pulling him along.

His crew was handling their departure so all Otoya had to do was give them the okay. They had clear skies and good weather. The town they were heading to was down the coast, a few hours journey. They would reach their destination before nightfall. During a normal day, Otoya would likely be up on deck, at the helm, asking the brothers what they should do for dinner. They had a schedule they cycled through and tonight it was Otoya’s turn.

Instead, he was standing in the middle of the captain’s compartment with Tokiya.

With the door closed behind them, it was the first time Otoya got a chance to try to catch his breath. This day was shaping up to be as much of a whirlwind as their days back on the island. Tokiya really was here with him now, right? This wasn’t any sort of dream? There were a few steps distance between him and all Otoya really wanted to do was close it and make sure that this was really happening.

It was Tokiya that broke the silence. “You’ve changed.” He looked at Otoya with a fondness that Otoya hadn’t seen before.

Eyes going wide, Otoya’s mouth opened. He inadvertently looked down at himself, had he changed? Surely, not as much as Tokiya had? He still had his arms and legs, not much had changed there. His situation had changed, that was true. But as far as he could see, he was still himself. 

Looking back up, Otoya could only return the words with a quizzical look. He smoothed out his clothing with his hands, keeping them busy. He wished he could do the same with his heart, it beat relentlessly in his chest. “I have?” There was an overlaying sense of nervousness that Otoya hadn’t felt around Tokiya since he met him.

One of Tokiya’s hands was raised and it motioned to the back of Otoya’s head. Otoya’s hand followed the motion and his fingers were met with a bundle of hair. He had grown his hair out since leaving the island. It was long enough to make a short ponytail at the base of his head. He had put his hair up in the morning, like he did most mornings now, and had forgotten. He didn’t know what possessed him to grow it out but he rather liked the length. 

“That’s not all either.” Letting his gaze sweep the room, Tokiya examined it. He turned where he stood as there wasn’t much room to walk around in. “This is likely the smallest captain’s quarters I’ve ever been in.” He paired it with a flash of tongue between his teeth and it made Otoya squawk about how that comment wasn’t necessary.

It was more space that Otoya knew what to do with. The exact square footage was unknown but it was enough to host a proper bed and some sparse furniture. Due to the nature of the vessel, the furniture had been built into the walls or bolted to the floor. A desk was permanently attached to one of the walls with no chair in sight, it was easier for Otoya to stand. There was a chest that held most of Otoya’s clothes and a few other trinkets that he didn’t want flying around. He didn’t tell anyone about the false bottom in it, where he hid more valuable items. There were deep shelves on one wall filled with random items. Anything else was an extra expense that he didn’t really have the coin for.

The inherited furniture was old and as Tokiya walked over to examine the desk, Otoya had to warn him that dragging his hand against the wood may give him a splinter. It was the books that must have caught his interest as the tips of Tokiya’s fingers trailed along their spines. They were mostly on navigation but Otoya had one on myths buried somewhere. It was an old one, spine cracked and pages worn. There was even the odd page missing, Otoya had picked it up on one of their voyages.

Letting his hand fall away, Tokiya looked back at Otoya. At Otoya, who stood in the middle of the captain’s quarters he called his own. At Otoya, who had two people depending on him. At Otoya, who grew his hair out and who was wearing a coat nearly two sizes too big for him and who hadn’t stopped looking at Tokiya with stars in his eyes.

“But it’s still a captain’s room,” Tokiya continued despite Otoya’s initial noise of protest, “which makes you the captain.” It was a drastic change from their time on the island, where Otoya often said how content he was without any responsibility on his back.

It was a title that Otoya still didn’t know entirely what to do with. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying to see what Tokiya was getting at. There weren’t any notes of envy in Tokiya’s voice, more of a weighted tone. “I am. But I still have a lot to learn.” Everyday was an experience to learn something new as far as Otoya was concerned. It was exactly why his crew came in handy so often.

It highlighted how much the years had changed them, both of them. But with a knock on the door, neither could say much more on the subject. Otoya opened the door to Eiji, who had come to let Otoya know that a passing merchant ship flagged them down to see if they were willing to trade. Tokiya could only watch as Otoya swelled to fill the coat that hung on his shoulders as he told Eiji that he would be right out. The sailor only gave Tokiya a passing glance as he retreated.

“Well, are you coming?” Inviting Tokiya to come with him, Otoya kept the door open wide. He flashed a smile, his face settled into a firm smirk. “We shouldn’t pass on opportunities like this.” It was a face befitting of someone who had done this many a time before. It took Tokiya seconds to respond, seconds that Otoya was too impatient to wait for. Stepping towards him, Otoya grabbed Tokiya’s hand and pulled him across the room and through the doorway. He could only wonder how many times that door was shut in the other man’s face. 

Otoya resolved to be different.

  


The passing vessel was a merchant ship of various trades. Otoya’s crew was given permission to roam and explore on the deck. Eiichi was the one who stayed behind with the ship, letting his brother do the shopping for them. The elder brother clacked his heels together and sent the rest of the party off with a lazy salute.

Most of the items for sale were mundane. There were numerous articles of clothing, everything from second hand boots to an intricately stitched handkerchief. Eiji’s attention got drawn in by a box that held gloves. They were mismatched pairs and he remarked on how he’d search through the box for a set of matching ones. His hands got cold easily, apparently, and Otoya and Tokiya left him to it.

Wandering around, the duo passed through a section of the deck devoted to kitchen ware. Otoya took the lead out of the two, rightly so. He knew what was needed and what wasn’t so they passed through that section quickly. Most of the inventory was wooden. The odd metal bowl or cup gleamed in the sunlight but were unable to catch Otoya’s eye. As they passed through, there was a scuffing noise behind him. Turning his head back, he was met with Tokiya just saying how he tripped over his own feet. Eyed widened and Tokiya assured him he was fine.

The best part, in Otoya’s opinion, was the miscellaneous corner. It was home to all sorts of goodies, things that were picked up who knows where. It had the most variety, hosting everything from books to stuffed animals. There were shaving kits, something that made Otoya sigh. He never had been able to maintain any sort of facial hair. He also passed on the other beauty products; women’s perfume in strangely shaped bottles that didn’t smell at all appealing, palettes of face paint, and vials of oils. 

He picked through a box of cards. They were a good way to pass the time and the brothers loved them. Otoya had an old deck that they used but the corners were peeling. Too much exposure to salt would do that. Plus, they lost a card or two, blown away by the wind. Finding a decent set, Otoya began to leaf through them. He wanted to make sure that all of them were present, all fifty-two needed. He found everything in order and held onto the cards. 

“Do you know how to play?” Otoya held the cards up in his hand, waving them to catch Tokiya’s attention. They failed to, however, due to Tokiya’s focus being drawn to the vials Otoya glazed over. Taking a few steps back, Otoya came up beside the other man. “What’s that?” 

Out of all the bottles, Tokiya held one of the biggest ones. Still, it could fit in his hand. He swished its contents, likely judging how full the bottle was. “It’s a special kind of oil.” The glass was opaque and the bottle was corked. The cork was removed and it was brought up under Tokiya’s nose. It was something Otoya had no knowledge about.

“Like for cooking?” That sort of cooking was more specialized, as far as Otoya knew. He didn’t do it himself but the chefs in the towns he visited did. Whenever they fried stuff up in oil, his mouth always watered. It was more fattening, sure, but the taste was worth it. The scent was recognizable a long ways away, frying oil, and just thinking about it had Otoya’s stomach grumbling. 

Tokiya brought the vial closer, it passed his inspection. He put the cork back in place. “Not for cooking.” He held it like he intended to purchase it. It wasn’t Otoya’s place to tell him how to spend his money so he shrugged. It likely was a scented oil, what with it being placed with the rest of the beauty products.

“I got some cards! We can play after the delivery.” Once again, Otoya held the deck up. He grinned and called out to Eiji. The young sailor ended up being able to find a matching pair of gloves that fit him. As captain, it was only proper that Otoya pay for the items. With their items in hand, the trio returned to their ship.

It was Otoya’s turn to make their evening meal and that always meant things were going to get messy. 

It was one thing cooking on land but cooking at sea was a whole other ball game. Tonight’s menu was curry, unsurprisingly. It was Otoya’s go to dish. Easy to make, easy to keep, it was the perfect recipe that changed with the seasons. Different spices and ingredients made it distinct enough to keep repeating. Due to their captain’s fondness for the food, the ship housed a well stocked spice rack. Additions of garlic, ginger, nutmeg, and chilis always offered a new flavour. 

A pot with rice was already underway on a portable stove. Otoya could make rice in his sleep. The grain kept ridiculously well, stored in dry barrels. Kept away from moisture, they could have rice for years. It was a staple and traded for cheap to boot. Bread was seen as more of a luxury item but Otoya blanched at the thought of putting curry on bread so they always had a stock of rice. 

His red hair was kept pulled back as he worked. The meat was a cut of beef, chopped up and seasoned. Eggplant and carrots were the vegetable additives to the dish tonight. Cut into rough rectangles, they were thrown in with the meat to tenderize. The ship rocked, causing the sauce to splash along with the vegetables. The kitchen was below deck, lit with lanterns. They swung with the ship, the amount of light at any time varied.

His company came in shifts. Tokiya was the only constant force throughout the dinner preparation. First it was Eiji, who balefully informed Tokiya that their captain could go a little spice crazy. “I hope you like it spicy,” he said, looking a little green as he did. Second was Eiichi, who traded placed with Eiji so the younger could get some air. They were docked at their destination but opted to make their delivery after eating. They made good time and arrived early.

Spoon in hand, Otoya dipped it in his curry. It was essential to continue to taste throughout the cooking process. “Can you pass the pepper?” He licked his lips; it needed a kick. It wasn’t up to his usual level of spice but he needed that hint of heat. He looked at Tokiya, who perked at being asked for something. Eiichi was only an observer in the exchange, watching Tokiya closely.

“Where is it?” Stepping around Otoya, the two made for a tight fit in the small kitchen. The spice rack was terribly disorganized. Not all of the glass containers were the same size and some didn’t even have lids. Some weren’t even glass, leaving it impossible to guess what was inside. The light didn’t quite reach all of the way over to where Tokiya was, especially not with Otoya in the way. He had to pick up random jars and squint at them. One of them held a black seed which stood out from the others. A quick sniff let Tokiya know that he found it. “I got it.” 

The cook for the night held out his hand, ready to receive the spice. A happy feeling was bubbling up within Otoya. He could see himself doing this well into his future with Tokiya. It didn’t just have to be cooking either, they would sail together. Far away, to the far reaches of the horizon where no one and nothing would ever bother them again. He never had domestic thoughts before, it came out of nowhere. If only his younger self could see him now.

His bubble burst when one of Tokiya’s legs gave out under him.

The glass bottle flew out of his hand. Otoya’s body reacted before his mind, attempting to catch the bottle. He missed, it smashed against the counter. There was an explosion of pepper, nearly enough to make Otoya sneeze. Shards embedded themselves in his hand, nothing more than a sting at the moment. His focus was on Tokiya, still on the floor. Tokiya looked dazed, kneeling.

He wasn’t the only one who reacted. Formerly an observer, Eiichi stood. “Cap, you’re bleeding.” 

“It’s nothing.” He’d seen more blood than this come out of a body before. A lot more. For a moment, Otoya got reminded of that time back on the island, when Tokiya got shot. His heart froze. Hearing a bang, standing above Tokiya again, all that blood… His vision blurred. It was all too easy to imagine this was back then. His eyes slid out of focus, Tokiya turned into a blurry smear before him. He hadn’t experienced an episode like this for a long while.

It took two hands on either side of his face to tune him back in.

It wasn’t the hands of his crew member, Eiichi reacted first but he didn’t dare touch Otoya. It was Tokiya, who must have gotten up off the floor. Heat encircled his cheeks and it made him feel dizzy. There was a nudge against the tip of his nose, a comforting gesture. It was a feeling that he had missed. The fever within him began to calm.

They broke apart and Eiichi spoke again, prompting. “Your hand. It’s bleeding.” Otoya had to make a slow show of examining his hand to discover that it really was bleeding. His palm was dotted with blood, sluggish to exit his body. 

Otoya barely felt the pain, closing his hand into a fist. “I’ll wash it out.” It was fortunate that this happened in ones of the areas with clean water aboard the ship. When Otoya brought his attention back to the task at hand, he made a noise of surprise. “The curry! Ah, I guess we’re out of pepper now.” It wasn’t a required element to his meal but it would have been nice to have. He found a fresh cloth and after wetting it, dragged it over his palm.

An apologetic look came over Tokiya’s face. “That’s… Because of me.” His lips twisted, owning up to the consequences of his actions. He didn’t mention why he fell but something in Otoya’s gut told him that maybe Tokiya wasn’t all that steady on his legs yet. 

“It’s just some pepper.” More passes of the cloth over his palm and the blood was wiped away. The skin had barely been broken and Otoya was able to pick out any glass shards with his fingers. He pushed them up and out of his skin, squeezing the shallow wound. He held his hand up, palm out. “See? It’s already clean.” He wasn’t sure how much they could see in the light but he spoke the truth.

“We have some pepper in our cargo right now.” Letting the idea float, Eiichi shrugged. He looked to Otoya for permission and his captain sheepishly grinned.

“You don’t think they’d miss a little bit of it, right?” It was rhetorical, the amount of pepper they would need to replenish their supply wouldn’t even be noticed. Otoya was also driven by a desire to include the spice in his curry so he made up his mind. “Can you get some?” They would only take what they needed, enough to fill another glass jar.

Standing straighter, Tokiya answered before Eiichi. “I’ll do it. I’m the reason we don’t have any in the first place.” He also looked to Otoya, asking for a similar permission. 

He didn’t answer right away. Otoya let the cloth pass through his palm one last time for good measure. On one hand, he wanted to keep Tokiya here to keep an eye on him. Eiichi could always be the one to go. On the other hand, it would hurt Tokiya’s pride if he didn’t go. 

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Otoya thought to himself about how much had changed.

“You’ll both go.” That way, Eiichi could watch out for Tokiya and Tokiya’s pride would be satisfied. The two men looked at each other upon hearing Otoya’s decision. If either had reservations about it, they didn’t voice them. Instead, Eiichi led the way out of the kitchen. Otoya heaved a sigh once they left, turning his attention back to his curry. It was simmering well and he gave it a lethargic stir.

He sneezed once they left.

While most of the ship was still foreign to him, Tokiya had already visited the cargo hold and was pleased to find that he remembered the twists and turns to get there. The sailor that led him there held a brisk pace, one Tokiya pushed himself to keep up with. He had to get used to this feeling again, of having two legs under him. 

Getting to the pepper was easy enough. Actually getting the pepper in the jar was another matter.

The feeling of someone pressing up behind him made him turn, coming face to face with Eiichi. The other man was taller, having to bend down slightly to be able to fit in the hold. He had a serious expression on his face and Tokiya let his own face fall flat. One of Eiichi’s arms came up to box Tokiya in, trapping him up against one of the wooden pillars that make up the skeleton of the ship. 

“I’m only going to say this once.” His voice was lowered but every word made it to Tokiya’s ears. There was no need to yell, being only a few centimetres apart. He spoke in an accent local to the area. “You seem to know the captain but you missed one thing. He doesn’t like to be touched.” The warning was clear. 

So, he was Otoya’s guard dog, huh? Tokiya didn’t know how much Otoya told his crew about him but they didn’t have a reaction that he could see to his appearance. Looking Eiichi straight in the eye, he answered coolly. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He didn’t scare easy, couldn’t in his old line of work, and he refused to be chased away so soon after finding Otoya again. 

A smirk grew. “That didn’t sound like an agreement.” Looming over Tokiya, Eiichi brought his intimidation in full force. The odd colour of his eyes darkened. “In fact, it sounds like you plan on doing it again.” The tips of his hair blended well with the shadows of the ceiling above.

The pressure made Tokiya grit his teeth but he stood tall. “That’s my business.” Tokiya wasn’t prone to give out his personal details. He did that for far too long in the past. This was the start of a new life for him, one he didn’t plan on messing up. 

It was an answer that Eiichi seemed to like. “So, the pretty boy isn’t just a pretty face.” Tokiya kept still as Eiichi dropped his arm. The sailor never blinked once, holding Tokiya’s stare. Neither knew how to read the other yet. The only thing they shared in common was Otoya but their circles didn’t overlap. Eiichi’s other arm moved, raising again to pass Tokiya the glass jar. “The pepper.” 

If he thought Tokiya forgot, he was wrong. Lifting his chin to make himself seem taller, Tokiya took the jar. The action caused his eyes to narrow naturally, matched by Eiichi. Slowly turning on his heel, Tokiya broke the eye contact of his own volition. He cracked open one of the barrels containing the black pepper and dipped the jar in. Getting what they came for, the two men exited the cargo hold to head back towards the kitchen and Otoya.

The curry, with the addition of the pepper, came out spicy and perfect. The rice was plump and moist, an excellent match to the richness of the curry. Paired with the chunks of vegetables that added a mild flavour to the dish, it was enough to even make Tokiya dig in with gusto.

Dinner was lively. The food was scooped into the ship’s old dishes, one more set needing to be dug out. It was taken out onto the deck of the ship, where the four could spread out as they wished. The air was fresh and they could be as loud as they wanted, something Otoya was grateful for. His laughter would often ring throughout the ship, much too small to contain him. They got to watch the sunset, the horizon was bathed in pinks and oranges.

The brothers contrasted each other, Eiji was the one to pick up the conversation. His way of speaking was polite but he avoided speaking to Tokiya directly. Instead, he talked to Otoya and let the newcomer jump in as he wanted. 

“Does he know about the scar?” Swallowing a spoonful of his meal, Eiji turned to Otoya. It was obvious who he was implying in his question but Otoya’s eyes widened. “Did you show him?” 

Otoya knew what Eiji was referring to. The jagged, ugly scar on the back of his right calf. It healed over time, a mass of scar tissue that would forever remind him of what he went through. If they were dining with anyone else, anyone who wasn’t on that island, Otoya would roll up the leg of his pants and show it off. He’d make up some grand story of how he got it. It became a game to his crew. What outlandish tale would he tell next? They were clearly embellishments but served to stretch Otoya’s imagination.

But Tokiya was there. He knew what happened. Otoya didn’t have to make up a story this time.

Setting his plate down beside him, Otoya wrestled with the material over his leg. Rolling it up, his scar was revealed. “Wanna hear how I got this?” He looked at Tokiya and by the look the other was giving him, Otoya didn’t need their former bond to know that Tokiya knew where this was going. “I was in a shipwreck. I was saved by a merman. The scar is from the wreck. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” 

“It doesn’t sound crazy at all.” With a soft smile and fondness in his eyes, Tokiya reassured him. It was something that Otoya was grateful for. He never dared to speak the truth so openly, even under a guise. It left his breathing shaky, like he was somehow deceiving his sailors. He rolled the cloth back down his leg, hiding the scar once more from view.

A gasp came from one of the brothers, likely Eiji. “That’s a good one.” But Eiichi was leaning forward, with his forearms resting on his knees. He had been watching Otoya’s face intently as his captain told his story.

The brothers had a plethora of stories to share about their odd captain. Otoya was funny in a lot of ways. He collected strange things, he rolled his pants up sometimes, and he spaced out. Something that came up more often than not was something Otoya did early on when he took command of the ship.

Once he got established and had a pseudo-steady stream of income, he blew most of his savings on an expensive meal for himself and his crew. He had bought the best cut of beef he could find and the three of them handled the cooking. It was a miracle they didn’t burn it to a crisp. By the time they had completed cooking the huge slab of meat, Otoya took the best piece and threw it overboard. His debt was repaid.

Standing, Otoya declared that he was retiring to his room for the night.

It was coming back to him in a rush. He hadn’t felt this way since returning to the mainland. There was the odd time where he’d zone out, looking out at the water. It wasn’t the same water that trapped him on the island but it looked the same, felt the same.

It wasn’t that he was scared or frightened. Memories were just that, intangible fragments. Scars were just proof that he made it through. They’d build up over the years and show a life well lived. They were things to recall, show off. But there were some things that Otoya didn’t want to remember.

Behind him, Tokiya had followed him into the captain’s room. The two sailors were left to make the delivery on their own. Eiji informed his captain that they would take care of it. With Otoya’s responsibilities taken care of, he was getting ready to turn in for the night. There was still some light in the sky but he didn’t plan on leaving his room for the rest of the evening. The door was closed behind them, giving them privacy.

“It’s not usually like this.” He had an overwhelming need to explain himself. Shirking his duties was something he never did. He took his position seriously, knowing full well how important the relationship between a captain and his sailors was.

“Should I leave?” The question came out of nowhere. Tokiya asked it plainly, straight faced right at Otoya. He completely disregarded Otoya’s previous statement. The conversation lost its casual tone from dinner.

Otoya didn’t believe his ears. “What?” What had Tokiya just said? Leave? “Leave— No, what?” It threw him. They had just reunited, what went wrong? He visibly drooped. That hollow feeling from earlier was still inside him. It flared up again.

Shifting his weight from foot to foot, Tokiya let his shoulders fall. He looked small, one of his arms coming across his body to grasp his other wrist. “I’m in the way here. This is your life, not mine.” His gaze was down on the floor, not meeting Otoya’s eyes. “I shouldn’t stay.”

It was shocking to hear. Wounded, Otoya shrunk back. “What are you talking about?” He had been blindsided too much in the recent years of his life. Meeting Tokiya had been one of the only good things to come out of being stranded on that island and the chance of seeing Tokiya again was one of the things that he looked forward to each day. It wasn’t the only thing, but Otoya couldn’t deny that he had been forever changed.

Did something happen? Was Tokiya embarrassed with him? Captains were usually judged by the size of their ships and, well, Otoya had inherited his. There were even those comments about the size of the room from before. Was size really everything? It wasn’t only that. It had been over two years since they last saw each other. Otoya’s imagination couldn’t help but act up. That wasn’t even getting to the last question that sprang to Otoya’s mind, one he didn’t want to even dare voice.

Was Tokiya not in love with him anymore?

Despite standing in the same room together, it felt like an ocean was still separating the two.

“I was happy to see you again. Really, you don’t know,” trailing off, Tokiya was shaking his head, muttering to himself, “You don’t know what this means to me.” Tilting his head to the side, he smiled. “But, I should go.” 

“Stupid Tokiya!” It burst out of Otoya, arms flailing. The shout widened Tokiya’s eyes, eyebrows shooting up. “Stupid!” Taking a second to compose himself and take a breath, Otoya kept going. “You can’t just leave, not after all this time. I just got you back.” His chest was close to heaving, his vision was getting watery. “How could you say that?” Otoya’s voice turned squeaky, pitching up.

His emotions were running wild. Seeing Tokiya had brought elation and relief. Watching Tokiya fall brought a harsh reminder of what they went through. Hearing Tokiya talk about leaving brought heartbreak. Otoya’s heart could only take so much.

Taking a step forward, Tokiya made a move to comfort Otoya like he had before. But Otoya took a step back, bringing his hands up to maintain the space. He needed to get some answers. He’d stand on his own two feet before he welcomed Tokiya’s embrace again.

“It’s not something I say lightly.” Hand over his chest now, palm flat, Tokiya’s face lit up with emotion. The exchange grew heated. “Please understand. That last thing I want to do is leave but—"

“Why would you make me fall in love with you and then just leave me?” A sniffle came from Otoya. The tears remained in his tear ducts for now but his nose twitched in the worst way. It would be running with snot before long. The question that Otoya didn’t want to ask was on the tip of his tongue, forcing its way out of his mouth. “Do you not love me anymore?”

The look on Tokiya’s face was worse than when he got shot.

“Stupid Otoya!” His previous words got thrown back in his face and Otoya blinked. It sounded so silly, so childish. Tokiya barked it at him and Otoya recoiled in surprise. “Of course I still love you. That’s why I want to ask if you’re sure about this.” Kindness and love were the only emotions coming through, calming Otoya.

A vocal confirmation went right to his head. Otoya’s lips parted, tasting the words. Tokiya still loved him. Just with that, the hollow feeling vanished. It had been a roller coaster of a day and finally, it caught up to his body. His legs were going numb, giving out on him. Otoya crashed onto the edge of the bed, the old box springs in the mattress croaked in protest. 

“I don’t regret falling for you.” Leaning back on his hands, Otoya gazed up at Tokiya. His low ponytail tickled the back of his neck, causing his eyes to crinkle up. A lazy smile was spreading across his face. “I have regrets in my life but you’re not one of them.” 

There were so many things Otoya felt like he should have done. They nearly all stemmed from the island. He should have paid more attention to Ren, he should have tried harder to find his other crewmates, he should have picked up on what Reiji was doing. Looking back, Otoya called himself a fool for missing all the obvious signs. Especially with Ren, he’ll have to live with that for the rest of his life.

The mention of regrets caused a frown to flicker on Tokiya. “I have regrets too.” What they were, Tokiya didn’t say. Otoya didn’t offer up his own. They didn’t need to articulate them, or at least that was what he thought. “One was on the night before we left the island.”

“What do you mean?” It was Otoya’s turn to falter. That anxiety started up again in his gut, mixed with an apprehension about what Tokiya was about to say. He hadn’t been expecting this. He thought they were taking a step forward. It wasn’t even a night that Otoya remembered. He had fallen asleep from exhaustion and likely dehydration, once he looked back. He tried to piece together what happened that night all too often, failing each time.

Without touching him, Tokiya knelt down in front of Otoya, feet tucked under him. Now Otoya was looking down at the other man, waiting for him to continue. “I sang for you that night. You don’t remember but I did.” Tokiya’s hands balled into fists on his lap during his confession. “It kept you asleep.”

Ah. So, that was it. The missing piece in his memory. Finally, the tears overflowed. They came suddenly, without any build up. They were tears of sadness, though many had already been shed over these past two years, Otoya finally had someone to share in his grief.

He tipped forward off the bed, crashing into Tokiya for a second time that day. He knocked Tokiya backwards, onto the floor. Hands stalled in midair, unsure if they were able to wrap themselves around Otoya or not. When Otoya began to sob into Tokiya’s chest, they made their decision to squeeze him tight. 

“There was nothing you could do. I didn’t want you to hear… That.” Otoya had already been through so much by that point. The continuous screams, splashing, and gurgling didn’t have to imprint themselves in the redhead’s mind. Tokiya made sure of that. “He was living on borrowed time. You still are.” Otoya never forgot that. He was always supposed to have died on that island. It only clued in to him later how significant it was that he survived. “I’m sorry.” 

Tokiya sounded so composed but his emotions came through in his actions. He rubbed Otoya’s back, through his hiccups. He let Otoya cry it out on the floor of the room, holding him. As time passed, Otoya settled. Though his face was streaked with tears, no new ones flowed. His nose was as red as his hair. 

He had so many questions. He wanted to know what Ren’s last moments were like but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Drowning was a terrible way to go. Was he an awful friend because he didn’t want to know? 

“Thank you.” Otoya choked it out. Perhaps now, he could finally start to move on. But he wanted Tokiya by his side. “Stay.” It was a jump in the conversation but it was one that Tokiya could follow without any more explanation.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The next morning, Otoya was sore beyond belief. It earned him quite a few raised eyebrows.

“We heard some… Noises coming from your room last night. Was everything alright?” Eiji shouldn’t have asked Otoya that while he was trying to drink some water. He nearly spat it out. He had just been trying to enjoy a drink of water in the morning, unaware he was going to get harassed by his crew this early. “You’re walking funny.” 

The day started early; it always did on the ship. Otoya liked to begin the day enjoying the sunrise. Eiichi would join him on some days, Eiji on others. Today was the first morning that he watched the day begin with Tokiya in years. On the deck, they observed the sky grow light and pale. They huddled close; the air was still crisp. It was the start of a new day. They would put last night’s conversation in the past and take a step forward in their future. Meanwhile, the two brothers had joined the pair.

“What? No, I’m not!” Water dripped down Otoya’s chin, he had to wipe it away. He ignored a soft chuckle from Tokiya beside him. “I slept on the floor last night! I’m sore from that.” After their discussion last night, both Otoya and Tokiya had fallen asleep on the floor for a portion of the night. They had, eventually, moved to the bed in an awkward heap but the damage had already been done.

From behind him, Eiichi eyed up Tokiya. “Eh, really?” He dragged it out, obviously skeptical but amused. “That’s the story you’re going with, huh?” Eiichi discreetly took in Otoya’s expressions and actions. They were exaggerated but natural for the captain, a good sign. The redhead would take the teasing in stride. 

Otoya nearly shrieked. “It’s the truth!” A blush came to his cheeks at the insinuation. “I’ll make you mop the entire deck if either of you make one more comment!” It was an unmistakably false threat and everyone that heard it knew it. 

“I nearly walked in there to see what was going on but well,” Eiichi shrugged, “didn’t wanna interrupt if the cap was finally getting some.” He ignored a shout from Otoya with a grin, who was yelling at him to find a mop. “The pretty boy has a backbone after all.” As far as Eiichi was concerned, he’d keep an eye on this stranger but if Otoya trusted him, that was enough for him. Tokiya ducked his head with a smile when he overheard the words while Otoya turned into a yelling tomato.

“Spotless!! I want this deck spotless!”

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. They didn’t have scheduled work until Otoya got his next contract so that meant time off. Time off usually meant ship maintenance and cleaning, scrubbing down the decks and the rails. Thanks to Eiichi, the decks were moped clean. Their surface area wasn’t much on such a small ship so it only took him the better part of an hour. Once he finished, Otoya sent him shopping. They had to take advantage of getting fresh groceries while they were docked and it was Eiichi’s turn to cook tonight, anyways.

Officially, Tokiya joined the ship. He didn’t have a title yet; he wasn’t part of the normal crew and the captain’s role was already filled. He had nearly nothing to his name apart from the clothes on his back and a bit of money. They didn’t have any extra beds on board so Tokiya would join Otoya for now. In all honesty, it made Otoya a little nervous.

He and Tokiya had never had sex. Yet. Yet? The memories associated with that word were ones Otoya never wanted to think about again. But he was a man and men had, well, certain needs. He had gotten used to exploring his body over the past two years but never had a partner. It was intimidating, especially when he knew Tokiya had more experience than him. It put Otoya on edge all day, jumping and flinching from contact. He tried to relax during their evening meal.

Eiichi had cooked up meat with rice in a sweeter sauce than Otoya’s curry the night prior. The sauce was light coloured and the meat had been seasoned. Otoya would never turn down a plate of meat but Tokiya mainly ate the rice, giving Otoya most of his pieces of meat. It was an action that didn’t go unnoticed.

There was a constant back and forth between Tokiya and the brothers. They had many questions for the man who was seemingly going to join their crew as an unknown member. They wanted to know where he came from and what his skills were. They asked about how he knew Otoya, which was where Otoya had to step in to give a vague sort of answer. The redhead had to tread carefully, neither wanting to lie to his crew or admit what had occurred in his past. 

In all honestly, he was glad to be pulled into the conversation. It gave him an excuse to avoid continuously pushing the pieces of meat around on his plate.

However, Tokiya did explain his past, prior to the island. He called himself an entertainer, which made Otoya listen attentively. He had summed Tokiya’s previous life up as mainly being in the bedroom, something he ducked his head about now. Tokiya was more than that. He was a singer and dancer, among his other talents. 

“We have a regular siren on board, now don’t we?” 

Eiichi didn’t know how true his statement was.

“You didn’t tell me that you were a singer.” It was one of the facts that Otoya had learned that evening. He scratched the tip of his nose with his finger, a nervous motion. “I just assumed that, well.” He just assumed that Tokiya’s talents were in the bedroom, putting it mildly.

After dinner, much like the night before, the two retreated to Otoya’s room. His room had gotten progressively messier since Tokiya moved in. There was stray clothing strewn across the bed, given by Eiichi for Tokiya to wear until he could get his own. The mood was upbeat between them, their second day having went a lot smoother than their first day together. 

In an attempt to clean up, Tokiya began to sort and fold the clothing. “Did you think I was just naturally talented?” He adapted a scolding tone, shaking out a shirt. His folds were shaky but he managed it alright. “I practised daily. I needed to be ready when I was called on.” 

Sitting down on the bed, Otoya removed his boots and brought his legs up. Crossing his legs, he made himself comfortable. “I just, didn’t think about it.” He had other things on his mind, where Tokiya got his singing talents wasn’t one of them. But he was sure about one thing. “You’re really good.” 

“Maybe I’ll sing for you again.” When Tokiya tried to pick up the next shirt, part of a sleeve got caught under Otoya’s legs. He pulled on it until Otoya got the message and moved. “It’ll make up for last time.” The shirt got shaken out, creating a tiny gust of wind in the bedroom. It blew Otoya’s bangs back momentarily.

His head was resting in his hands, elbows on his knees. Just watching Tokiya was relaxing. Folding was a methodical process, or at least it should have been. Otoya found that Tokiya did it slightly differently each time. “I’d like that.” Murmuring his agreement, he made no other movements until the folding was completed. The clothing was tucked into one of the drawers of the chest.

As a random drawer was selected, it clicked in Otoya’s mind that he had some personal items in that particular drawer. He couldn’t get it out of his mouth fast enough, sounding more like gibberish than an attempt to stop Tokiya. One of the items was held up a moment later, an item that held significance for them both.

A red seashell.

“That’s, that’s,” Otoya stuttered, his tongue tripping over itself in an attempt to explain, “it’s… A reminder?” He hadn’t meant to let it come out with an inflection, slipping into a question. He may have developed a bit of a hobby of collecting red shells. They weren’t the ones he had back on the island, those had likely burnt up. But they were something tangible to remember Tokiya by. 

He couldn’t read the expression on Tokiya’s face. The shells were something that were never supposed to see the light of day. Otoya had forgotten all about them in the whirlwind that was his last few days. He didn’t need them anymore. They didn’t need them anymore.

Waiting for Tokiya to say something made those nerves act up again. The supernatural bond that once connected them was gone so Otoya had to do the work himself. He had to read body language and faces to piece together what the other man was feeling. There was a tentative hope spreading.

“You were thinking of me.” It was stated as a fact, which it was. Otoya nodded, watching as the shell was put back in the drawer. It was closed and Tokiya turned his full attention back on the redhead. “How often?” He stood by the chest, asking from across the cramped room.

Fully aware of how his heart was beating in his chest, Otoya answered honestly. “Every day. I counted them.” There was an abundance of spit building up in his mouth and he had to swallow it down. It was an audible gulping sound. Still on the bed, his legs unfurled themselves and hung over the edge. 

There was a glint in Tokiya’s eyes. “How did you think of me?” Stalking closer, there was a swing in his hips and Otoya suddenly found the room stifling. He caught a stray thought of thinking that told him that Tokiya wore confidence well. 

“Huh?” He blamed the fact that he was more caught up in watching Tokiya than listening to him. “How?” There was a gap in understanding and Otoya could only blink. He really needed this to be spelt out for him. His mouth opened and closed, shaking his head to convey his confusion. 

Getting closer, Tokiya stopped just out of reach. “Was it while you were sailing? Did you think of me then?” They were rhetorical questions, Otoya wasn’t meant to answer them. “Or did you think of me when you were alone?” Eyebrows quirked, that was the question he wanted Otoya to answer.

The insinuation made Otoya’s breath quicken. Playing dumb crossed his mind but Tokiya would see through that with his past and Otoya’s inability to lie. That was something that he would never be able to perfect, no matter how many years he lived. So, no matter what he said in this moment, Tokiya would see through him.

It had taken him a long time to get to a point where he was comfortable with himself again. Otoya had always had a healthy sexual appetite but after returning from the island, it dulled. As the months went by, his curiosity overruled his fear. He only did it in this room with the door closed. There was no lock. Otoya often got spooked by the slightest rocking of the ship or if someone passed overheard, thinking he would get caught. It meant endless frustration and anxiety on his part for months.

But his body couldn’t be without pleasure forever, enough soiled sheets told him that. He took matters into his own hands; his fingers never forgot his preferred motions. His first orgasm brought him to tears, oversensitive from the long passage of time. It had gotten easier since then though his fingers had wandered. They brushed lower between his legs, they never had before the island.

He thought of Tokiya regularly. Actually, Tokiya was all he thought of in those moments. Otoya hit a slight road bump when he realized he had no idea how Tokiya’s anatomy worked, especially with the tail. He laid awake at night more than once, trying to wrap his mind around it and ultimately forgetting his plight. He powered past it on most nights, forcing himself to not think too hard about it and enjoy his fantasy. Tokiya still had a tongue, teeth, lips, and fingers and the thought of those brought Otoya more pleasure than he’d care to admit.

Still, they were only thoughts. Thoughts were quite different than having another person sharing his bed. In a way, it could be considered unusual that Otoya didn’t welcome anyone into his life that way. His crew certainly noticed his apparent lack of sexual adventure. Perhaps that was why they didn’t question why Tokiya stayed with him now, finally content with having their captain achieving some companionship. 

That companionship was still waiting on a response. “Are you seducing me?” Cutting through the nuance, Otoya snapped himself out of his thoughts. He had done too much thinking over the past two years. He wanted something real, something tangible. Being pressed up against Tokiya sounded real nice. 

To his surprise, Tokiya sighed. “Could you please let me?” He stood up straight in front of Otoya, still sitting on the bed. Tokiya spoke kindly, telling Otoya that he had been looking forward to this. “I may be out of practice but I think I can still manage to capture your attention.” The deliberately lazy way he dragged out the words left Otoya staring.

Seduction was never Otoya’s thing. He was too loud and brash for the soft whispers that it took. He’d rather crash through walls than go around them, bluntly. But he found himself swallowing once more. A funny feeling was creeping up on him, making him tickled pink that Tokiya was willing to spend so much time on this.

Stepping forward, Tokiya approached the bed. He manoeuvred Otoya over to make do with the limited amount of space they had to work with. The old springs dipped, groaning. Otoya found himself easily being moved into the position that Tokiya wanted him in with gentle nudges and taps. Now he was hovering over the other man, looking down on him. It was a point of view that Otoya never really had before.

“How’s this?” What he was referring to, it was hard for Otoya to know. What he did know was that Tokiya was gorgeous. Laying on his back under Otoya, Tokiya made no attempts to move. Instead, he gazed up, watching how Otoya reacted. The redhead needed more prompting. “How does this feel for you?”

“I don’t know.” It was his honest reply. Otoya didn’t know if he should lean down to kiss Tokiya or hold his hand first. Should he try to rub their legs together? Or how about his hands? What did he do with his hands? Suddenly overwhelmed with all these choices, Otoya did none of them.

“Let’s switch, then.” They rolled, switching places. Now Otoya was the one on his back and Tokiya was the one over him. Exhaling, Otoya found himself much more comfortable. There were no needless questions floating around in his mind. His hands naturally fell on Tokiya’s shoulders and one of his knees was bent up, rubbing against Tokiya’s hip. “Better?” 

“Better.” With Tokiya covering him, Otoya felt protected. The tension dropped out from his body and he wiggled a bit into the sheets. They were heating up quickly, two bodies provided more warmth than one. The anticipation was setting in, getting Otoya’s heart beating. His clothing trapped his rapidly warming body, just beginning to perspire. 

A chuckle from above. “Good.” A puff of air by his ear had Otoya gasping. He certainly couldn’t manage something like that by himself. “Tell me how you imagined me.” Now that Tokiya had Otoya right where he wanted him, his teasing was ramped up.

The same position that Otoya had thought of was safe was preventing him from escaping the topic. He turned his face partially to the side, embarrassed to face Tokiya head on. “You want… Details?” Could he get away with a broad explanation? Otoya had never voiced those types of thought to anyone before. It would surely sound awkward coming out of his mouth.

“Every last one.” He couldn’t run from Tokiya’s eyes, the other man pulled back enough to meet Otoya’s own. He then dipped his head back down, running his nose lightly along the side of Otoya’s neck. “And in exchange, I’ll give you mine.” 

Hearing that shouldn’t have made Otoya moan. It came out like a breathy whine, it made him blush to think that Tokiya could get to him so easily. It hadn’t occurred to him that Tokiya might be the same as him. That Tokiya was also thinking of him each night, imagining the time when they could be together. It made him hot. “That’s,” the rest of his sentence didn’t go anywhere, Otoya cut himself off to pant. Tokiya had repeated his action. 

“Do you want me to start?” Knowing Tokiya would keep talking and Otoya was unable to stop it had him reeling. He pulled on Tokiya’s shoulders, pulling him closer. It was all he could do to ground himself. “Do you want to hear how much I want you?” 

Another whine. Otoya’s head was in the clouds, his body was overheating. He wouldn’t last at this rate and Tokiya had barely touched him. It was all too new and too much. His stamina was nearly non-existent, it was obvious when he was basically drooling already. “Tokiya.” Otoya’s raised leg trembled, pressing further against Tokiya’s body. 

Pulling back again gave Tokiya the chance to examine Otoya’s expression. There was a high blush on his cheeks, likely spreading down to the rest of his body. His mouth fell open revealing a pink tongue hidden between red lips paired with how Otoya’s hips were twitching upwards made Tokiya contemplate. “Perhaps I’ve teased you too much.” 

Otoya didn’t know what he wanted. He wanted Tokiya to kiss him and touch him more. He wanted his pants off. He wanted his hands to stop shaking. Out of all his demands, he vocalized his desire to be kissed. “Kiss me?” 

More than happy to oblige, Tokiya fulfilled the request. Otoya didn’t know if he kept his mouth open or closed, all he knew was that Tokiya was kissing him again. He took it as well as he could, letting the other do all the work. All Otoya did was follow Tokiya’s lead, reacted to him in unexpected ways. His back tried to arch itself up, bumping their chests together. His leg and hands tightened their grip, preventing Tokiya from attempting to move away.

One kiss between two and two became three. They blurred together, ill defined. Sometimes Tokiya would give him a second to breathe and sometimes he would just take Otoya’s bottom lip and suck. One of Tokiya’s hands made its way to Otoya’s hair while the other came to rest on his side, encouraging Otoya to continue to erase the space between them.

When even Tokiya lost his breath, they paused. The difference between them couldn’t have been highlighted better. While Otoya’s breathing pitched up, nice and high, Tokiya’s dipped down, deep enough to make the heat pool in Otoya’s gut. Due to their positions, it was Otoya that had spit dripping off his lips, off his chin. Their messy kisses made his skin shine. Removing one hand, he tried to wipe it off to no avail, Tokiya licked him clean.

Sitting up brought a rush of blood to Otoya’s head. His vision whitened momentarily. He wasn’t used to this in the slightest. Anything further was truly unknown territory but Otoya was always one to jump in headfirst. He waited for Tokiya to make a move.

That move ended up being the easing off of Otoya’s shirt. The clothing was tossed away and in the functional part of Otoya’s mind, he found it amusing how carelessly it was tossed given how carefully Tokiya was folding earlier. He made no move to cover himself, perfectly comfortable. He had picked up the odd mark over the years but nothing that really stood out, not like the scar on his calf. When Tokiya’s shirt followed, tossed just as unceremoniously, but it got a very different reaction.

“That’s where…” Trailing off, Otoya’s hands instinctively reached out to the scar on Tokiya’s hip. It wasn’t all visible, only partially. The healed skin was pale, even more so when Otoya’s tanned fingers traced the top of it. “You got shot.” The individual cuts of the knife weren’t as defined after all this time but Otoya could have sworn he still saw them as clear as the day he made them.

Hands were overlaid with Otoya’s own, contrasting further. “It healed.” He told Otoya gently that he was alright. “Shall we continue?” One of his hands travelled until it rested under Otoya’s chin, making him look up from the scar. “I know that I’m not the only one that needs this.” 

They both needed to move on. To put what happened to them behind them. To take a step forward into their new life together.

Still, it wasn’t that easy. Otoya wanted to expose the scar entirely so he lightly tugged on the band of Tokiya’s pants, silently asking. His arousal was momentarily forgotten in this new desire. When no opposition came, he tugged harder. The material slipped lower, lopsided. It only needed a few more inches, keeping Tokiya modestly clothed. 

He didn’t know what overtook him to think of kissing it but he did. With Tokiya upright on his knees, it was the perfect height for Otoya to reach. The skin was bumpy and rough against his smooth lips but that didn’t stop him. It was a way to apologize for what happened in their past. Tipping his head back, Otoya was met with Tokiya’s darkened eyes.

“Let’s get your pants off.” There was a strain to the words and Otoya noticed too late how close he was to the bulging front of the other man’s pants. He swallowed heavily and acted on impulse. Otoya dragged his mouth over the front, never straying his gaze. “Otoya.” A hand was woven into his red hair. Was this how Tokiya felt while teasing him earlier? Oh, he liked this.

Smiling, Otoya took it a step further. Swiping his tongue, he waited for a reaction. Tokiya’s hips stuttered forward. Otoya grinned and did it again. Within seconds, there was a damp patch that Otoya was lapping at. The shivers passing through Tokiya’s body were visible and the hand in his hair tightened. Instead of pulling Otoya away, it pushed him closer. Closer to growling than not, Tokiya asked him. “Do you want to taste my cock that badly?”

The dirty talk was sudden, surprising Otoya. He froze, eyes going wide. Tokiya had flipped the tables on him, just like that. His heart went wild again, pounding away in his chest. He didn’t have the vocabulary to respond to that and Tokiya likely knew it. He kept his tongue still and inside his mouth.

“Pants. Off.” The third time’s the charm, Otoya’s pants were kicked off. One of his legs got caught and it flailed in the air uselessly. In the meantime, Tokiya got off the bed and went back to the chest where he put his things. Otoya recognized the small item that was retrieved.

“The scented oil!” His exclamation earned a look of confusion from Tokiya. “Eh, is that not what it is? Why are you getting it out now?” Otoya fired his questions off rapidly as Tokiya sighed in exasperation.

Coming back to join Otoya on the bed, Tokiya tried to salvage the mood he had been setting. “You need to listen now, okay?” Otoya nodded from where he sat at the head of the bed. Tokiya took his position at the foot of the bed. “Can you be good for me?”

That made Otoya’s cock twitch. Without the restrictive layer that was provided by his pants, his underwear was much looser. He was made that much more aware of how hard he was. There was a flutter in his belly, the pleasure was returning. “Mhm.” Settling back into their roles, Otoya waited for more direction.

The vial was set down for now. Otoya’s ankles were moved apart, spreading his legs. His knees bowed, highlighting the arousal between his legs. He wasn’t ashamed of it but there was a momentary flicker of a need to cover himself. He let Tokiya control his movements, he trusted him. Otoya’s reward was more praise.

“Good boy.” Ah, he liked when Tokiya said that. It made him feel nice inside, relaxed. Otoya felt Tokiya touch his knees and thighs, working his way upwards. The more his body was touched, the more heated he felt. “Now this comes off.” The underwear, that was what Tokiya was referring to. It was stained by now, wet with Otoya’s pre cum. Carefully, Otoya’s last article of clothing was taken off.

Otoya couldn’t remember being more erect than he was now. His cock stood pretty, flushed and red. It bobbed lazily when his body moved. He had half a mind to stroke himself to completion right there but was able to resist the urge. Another round of blush burst onto his cheeks and he had to pant to catch his breath.

“Shift forward a bit, there.” Sliding down on the sheets, Otoya revealed more of his body to Tokiya. He got a smile in return and an explanation. “I need to get you ready for me.” That must be where the oil came in since Tokiya picked the vial up. He removed the cork and poured some over his fingers. Rubbing his now coated fingers together, the vial was ignored once more. Tokiya used his clean hand to angle one of Otoya’s legs more to the side, around his body.

When Tokiya’s fingers disappeared from Otoya’s view, he jumped slightly when he felt them press against his ass. A gasp left him and his muscles tensed by reflex. But a soothing sound from Tokiya and the feeling of the outside of his thigh being rubbed had Otoya calming down. The first finger was eased into Otoya and it had Tokiya’s eyebrows coming together.

“Have you done this before?” That made Otoya gulp and tense again, squeezing around Tokiya’s finger. He dragged his tongue over his lips and tried to formulate an answer quickly. What he was going to admit somehow made him more embarrassed than being completely naked.

“I, uhh, yeah.” The finger moved inside him but one finger was something Otoya could handle. “I’ve… Gotten curious. It felt good.” His face was burning up with his admission. He squirmed when he realized Tokiya’s fingers were longer than his own and reached deeper inside him. “I could only get two fingers though.” His arms weren’t long enough, he couldn’t get himself loose enough for three fingers. He squeaked when another finger was pressing up against his rim.

“Let’s work you up to three then.” Subtle amusement was laced in Tokiya’s voice as he added a second finger. The new addition made Otoya squirm and cry out. Two fingers were an intrusion, telling his body that something that happening. He could handle one finger well enough but two always made his knees weak. “Tell me if you’re going to cum.” 

“Won’t, just from this.” The false bravado seemed like a good idea but as soon as he said it, Otoya felt the courage drain out of his body. Big words from someone who practically melted from a few kisses. Tokiya took Otoya’s insistence as a challenge.

“No?” The easygoing pace the fingers had been taking up until now was broken. They were pulled back and pushed forward with renewed force. The change in pace had Otoya audibly moaning. They spread, opening him wide. Otoya choked on the spit building up in his mouth. “You can hold on a bit more?” Another press on his insides and Otoya wasn’t so sure anymore.

The oil helped the third finger in. This was new for Otoya. Three fingers felt conflicting, the stretch was satisfying. The muscles in his bare stomach reacted the most visibly, his core the most vocal about keeping the invading fingers out. Otoya whined when the pace was increased, giving him little time to get accustomed to the third finger. His cock dripped, shaking with each shiver that ran through his body. Tokiya didn’t give him time to think about anything else other than what was going on right in this moment.

Tokiya knew when to pull back. When Otoya’s body gave off the warning signs to Tokiya’s watchful eye, the fingers stopped moving. They were pulled out carefully, against the suction. While Otoya was whining over the loss, Tokiya removed the rest of his clothing. Once fully nude, he stroked his own cock to ensure he was ready.

He was staring. Otoya was staring. He knew he was but couldn’t stop himself. Fingers were one thing but coming face to face with Tokiya before he was set to go inside him was another. The vial was used once more, spreading more of its contents on Tokiya’s cock. Tokiya only allowed a few pumps before stopping but Otoya caught every stretch of skin as he did. 

Crawling over him, Tokiya overlaid Otoya’s body with his own. “Ready?” 

“Ready.” There was a mix of excitement and nerves all wrapped up together. He spoke honestly and tried to contain a squeak when he felt a foreign heat press up against him. His arms went to hold onto Tokiya’s shoulders, a natural position. With his legs up, it gave Tokiya the access he needed to guide himself into Otoya.

He knew he had to relax, to try to release as much tension from his body as possible. But knowing something and actually doing it were two different things. Tokiya tried to distract him, kissing along Otoya’s jawline as he pushed himself in. Unable to stop himself from panting, his mouth fell open as Otoya took shallow gasps as he was filled. His eyes screwed themselves shut; vision was the last thing on his mind. 

Taking away his eyesight only served to highlight the stretch in his ass. Tokiya’s cock was much larger than his fingers. “Are you, is it, in?” It was fragmented as his chest heaved; he was trying to ask if Tokiya was fully inside him yet. The butterfly kisses slowed.

“Almost.” It wasn’t fair, Otoya thought, that Tokiya didn’t sound nearly as wrecked as he did. His hips wiggled in protest, just enough to portray his frustration. It earned him a huff from Tokiya. “Almost, keep still.” The last two words were hissed and it gave Otoya some insight on what Tokiya was feeling. Maybe he was just better at hiding it than Otoya was.

It was when Tokiya finally came to a stop did Otoya open his eyes. He was greeted by a very close up Tokiya, already showing signs of exertion. Puffs of warm air were blown into Otoya’s face, in their shared breathing space. Sweat was forming from their skin on skin contact, letting their bodies slide together with ease. 

Otoya wasn’t given a verbal indication on when the other was set to begin moving. Instead, Tokiya rearranged one of Otoya’s legs, moving it higher up his body to let Otoya wrap it around himself. Then, Tokiya let his hips creep backwards. The inches of his cock were removed slowly before being added back in.

The slow pace, honestly, threw him. It was a strange feeling, not painful nor pleasurable but just strange. He wanted Tokiya to hurry it up, to thrust into him like he really was trying to fuck him. “Can you, faster?” The next move of Tokiya’s hips was better but not nearly what Otoya wanted. He let Tokiya know with another whine, high and needy. His patience was running out and the ache in his own cock was reminding him of his desire to cum. “Faster?”

“Otoya.” The redhead’s name was grunted out with a snap of Tokiya’s hips. There was a burst of pleasure as Tokiya found a rhythm that suited them both. It was quick enough to keep Otoya happy, more than enough to satisfy him. It was embarrassing to hear himself mewl with each forward thrust, his nails dug into Tokiya’s shoulders and back.

Otoya’s one leg was hiked up more by Tokiya, nearly up and over his shoulder. It trembled from the strain. A sharp moan left him, louder than before, and Otoya couldn’t do much more besides take what Tokiya was giving him. With his mouth constantly open, drool was overflowing from his mouth and dripping from his lips. The pleasure was paralyzing and when Tokiya’s hand wrapped itself around Otoya’s cock, his eyes practically rolled back in his head.

He wouldn’t last from this double pronged attack on his body. Otoya didn’t have enough experience to move his hips with Tokiya so he only keened when his mismatched attempts didn’t line up with Tokiya’s thrusts. “Too much,” he writhed under Tokiya, unable to say much more. With each movement, Tokiya was making Otoya sing for him. It was a role reversal that Otoya had to admit that he enjoyed.

A laugh. “You asked for it.” Tokiya didn’t let him come down from the building lust. He stroked Otoya in time with the snap of his hips. That was the source of pleasure that was making Otoya currently go out of his mind. “Should I stop?” The threat was backed up by a leisurely stroke on Otoya’s cock and tears were nearly coming out of his eyes.

“No, no.” It came tumbling out. “No, no, no.” He wanted to cum. His hips bucked up, chasing the feeling of Tokiya’s hand wrapped around him. His cock was pulsing and the feeling in Otoya’s belly was growing. He would cum if Tokiya kept this up. “Tokiya, Tokiya.” Everything that came out of his mouth was repeated at least once. It took close to all of his effort to pronounce Tokiya’s name clearly in his haze. He wasn’t able to vocalize his impending orgasm with words, only through whimpers and shouts.

The thread snapped when a thumb pressed down against the tip of Otoya’s cock. He cried out when he came, shooting his cum over Tokiya’s hand. The white substance was swiftly smeared back onto his cock from Tokiya continuing to pump him through his orgasm. Otoya’s body tightened and the outline of Tokiya’s cock inside him was felt more than ever. 

It didn’t take much for Tokiya to follow. The thrusts got sloppy and misaligned within a sensitive Otoya, Tokiya pulled himself out to cum on Otoya’s stomach. The hot cum splashed on Otoya’s belly, standing out on his tanned skin. It streaked, already beginning to dry. With Tokiya taken care of, Otoya’s body took a well-deserved rest.

The exhaustion was immediate. Otoya’s reaction times slowed to a crawl and there was a rush in his ears. It nearly took all of his effort to simply lay there on the bed and keep his eyes open. Touching himself alone had never gotten this drastic of a response, this was something that he could only achieve with another person. The fact that it was with Tokiya likely made his head spin more than it should have. Part of him felt like he came too soon but he knew his own lack of stamina was the cause of that. They would need to work on it.

A light scratching on his stomach drew his attention there. One of Tokiya’s fingers was collecting a thick glob of cum before bringing it to Otoya’s mouth. “Here’s your taste.” Otoya’s lips parted and the cum was wiped on his tongue. The redhead barely had to move, once again Tokiya did all the work. All Otoya had to do was swallow. He probably shouldn’t have found the action as hot as he did but he stuck his tongue out for more and Tokiya supplied it.

“Do you have extra bedding?” Once Otoya’s stomach was cleaned off as well as it could be, the sheets were thought about. They would still have to sleep here for the night and with the ache already settling in for Otoya, another night on the floor wasn’t an option. Otoya pouted as Tokiya was able to function. “The sheets are dirty. We should change them.”

While Otoya didn’t mind the sheets right now, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be bothered by them later. They had worked up a sweat, it still clung on Otoya’s skin. When it dried, he’d get chilled. Not to mention the other fluids that had dripped onto the bed, there were stray drops of cum and spit mixed with extra oil. “Extra…? Uhh, maybe in there?” He mentioned to the bottom drawer of the chest. Spare bedding wasn’t exactly high on his priority list on his regular days.

Luckily for them both, Tokiya uncovered a clean sheet. Otoya let him handle the bedding, he had to clean himself up. Feeling between his legs, traces of the oil remained, not to mention his own arousal. He had to stand carefully with help, his thighs threatened to buckle. Otoya limped off the bed while Tokiya changed the sheets. He had to dig through his own clothing drawers to find an old towel. It would be more than enough to wipe himself down.

By the time Otoya was done, Tokiya had finished with his task as well. Walking awkwardly back across the room before collapsing on the bed, Otoya heaved a sigh. “’M not moving anymore.” He meant it. His limbs were throbbing and his ass kept trying to clench around nothing. Most of his hair had freed itself from his ponytail and he had to take it out. He didn’t plan on moving for the rest of the night. Something in his back cracked as he flopped over, making room for the other man. “Come here.” The bed was cold and Otoya wanted Tokiya close.

Always aiming to please, Tokiya joined him. They curled around each other, settling into a spooning position. Otoya was pleased to have Tokiya wrapped around him once more in a more innocent sort of way. Their legs intertwined, then their hands. The proximity and warmth made Otoya’s eyelids droop, ready to get some rest. Tokiya, on the other hand, decided to ask a whole host of questions about his performance.

“Did you enjoy it?” Otoya hummed with his eyes closed, answering the question in the affirmative. It was enough for Tokiya, nuzzling into the back of Otoya’s head. “Did I make you feel good?” Another hum, another question. “Do you want to do that again?” A louder hum as Otoya tried to show how enthusiastic he was. It was tough when sleep insisted on claiming him for the night. “Do you want to sleep?” A long, drawn out hum brought Tokiya’s performance review to a close and Otoya was finally given a chance to rest.

The rocking of the ship combined with Tokiya’s steady heartbeat were the things that lulled him to sleep.

Having sex definitely brought more aches and pains to his body than sleeping on the floor.

God, his entire body ached. Otoya swore, he must have pulled everything in his body for it to be protesting like it was. His knees bent out at an odd angle when he walked, he had to lean forward to reduce whatever strain was on his back. It made him grit his teeth together and hold onto Tokiya’s arm with a death grip as they walked on the top deck of the ship.

Otoya did what Otoya did best, he whined. “You didn’t tell me it would get this bad. My legs feel like they’re on fire.” Not just his legs either but they got the worst of it. His thighs burned and his core muscles sent a dull throb through his body whenever he tensed. “Yet you’re walking just fine.” He grumbled more, an old man before his time.

A kiss to his temple did little to improve his outlook. Tokiya reminded him that he had to take it slow. “It was the first time. You’ll get used to it, trust me.” A pat on his butt made Otoya jump. “And I wasn’t the one that took a dick up there.”

As much as he may have hated to admit it but damn was bigger ever better. It still made him narrow his eyes in mock suspicion at Tokiya, still wanting to make him work for it. They had slept in, long past the sunrise. Otoya needed the sleep, apparently, to recover from the night before. That meant that his crew was already well awake and alert, going back their daily chores long before their captain appeared. 

The younger brother only gave Otoya and Tokiya an awkward smile when he came across them. It puzzled Otoya as to why Eiji ferreted off so quickly, barely getting his morning greeting out. It was cleared up when the older brother greeted the pair.

“Should I take over the ship today, cap?” There was a solid smirk on Eiichi’s face and it was something that sounded off alarm bells in Otoya’s head. He let Eiichi deliver his punchline, already planning out a worse punishment than the day before. “Or did you sleep on the floor again?”

Otoya paled. It was one thing when his crew had assumed he had sex when he didn’t but it was another when he had actually had sex. If he could, he would have crab walked over there and given Eiichi a piece of his mind but since walking proved too much for Otoya at the moment, he had to settle for shouting across the deck. “Shut your mouth!” He got a bark of maniacal laughter from the sailor back.

Speaking up, Tokiya raised his voice. “We didn’t sleep on the floor again.” Otoya was about to issue a major thank you to his partner and then complain about how some crew members could stand to learn a little respect when Tokiya kept going. “I fucked him into the mattress.” He said it with such a deadpan look on his face that even Eiichi froze. 

Tearing himself away from Tokiya, Otoya threw himself dramatically against the outer railing of the ship. This way as well be a mutiny and even he could see the irony in it. Behind him, he could hear Tokiya and Eiichi exchange a few more words before Tokiya came over to check on him. Otoya gave him a sulky look over his shoulder, bottom lip puffing out.

He felt like nitpicking. “It was hardly into the mattress…” That earned him a raised eyebrow from Tokiya, who ruffled Otoya’s hair up in an attempt to curry favour. It worked.

“That’s the part you take issue with?” A gentle smile persuaded Otoya to take hold of Tokiya’s arm again. He valued the extra support from the man who had caused these aches in the first place. “I doubt the distinction mattered with how loud you were.” Pride was showing on Tokiya’s face and Otoya didn’t dispute it. He just hid his face behind his hands. The ship was small and acoustic, of course anything above normal conversational volume would be broadcasted.

The sun was already well in the sky, climbing up to its peak. A calm sea and deep blue sky forecasted another easy day of sailing. They could go anywhere they wanted now, with this ship. The freedom was intoxicating and endless, just like the ocean. Otoya wondered where Tokiya wanted to go. The other man just had to name a place and Otoya would take him there. Whether it was the busiest city in the world or the most remote, he’d take him there.

That reminded him. They had to go to into a larger port soon, to get supplies for Tokiya. Otoya wasn’t just thinking of clothing either but other things, things to help him perform. Otoya wanted to get Tokiya singing again. He wanted to watch him dance and be awed in how graceful Tokiya could be. There would be other items to pick up as well, Tokiya had a particular diet. He also remembered that his diva had a fondness for honey, an uncommon food that was often on the pricey side.

Maybe they’d settle somewhere where no one would ever find them again. Away from the cities and people, they could make their home on the edge of the universe. They both had people they would never want to see again for as long as they lived so avoiding the populous places lessened their chance at being discovered. Out of all the places they could go, Otoya’s mind conjured up the thought of living on a deserted island. Of all the things, that’s where his mind went. They could find one and cultivate it, turn it into a home for them both. Otoya would keep his ship and they’d be set to enjoy a lifetime of sun and sea.

Yeah, a deserted island didn’t sound half bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading! This story was never supposed to get this long but I am glad it did. It really helped to shape my writing style into what it currently is. As I wrote this, I treated it very much like an experiment. It gave me valuable insight on how to write future multi chapter stories as well. I found things I liked to do and I found that I need to sometimes have more overt foreshadowing. Also, I included a scene from Tokiya's point of view because I think it's important to think about all relationships (friendly and romantic) on board the ship. I may need to think about doing this more (showing scenes from other character's point of view aside from the protagonist) cause it gives the reader more insight.
> 
> Now I wanted to talk about some parts in this that I liked. I think that it would take Toki some time to get his legs back, especially his sea legs. I wrote him to be a little shaky. He and Otoya also had some emotional stuff leftover from the island so they had to work through that before coming together. I think it was realistic to write Otoya as I did. He went through multiple traumas. I also really like the thought of Otoya with a lil ponytail. There is official art of him with one so I hopped on that train real quick.
> 
> I hope that this ending was satisfying. I found myself liking the ending, especially how Otoya recalled a deserted island in a positive way. I thought that was amusing cause in the end, he goes back to the beginning. Is he better off now than when he started? In some ways. The debt he was talking about with the meat was for Ren, in case you didn't remember. I also had some fun writing Otoya in the last scene if you couldn't tell.
> 
> The two antagonists that are left, Reiji and Masa, essentially got away with what they did. Why? Because the world isn't fair. People are greedy and selfish. Who would punish them, even? There would never be true justice. Otoya could cry and whine and stomp his foot all he wants but what will that do? I am fine with leaving it like this. It's how the world works.
> 
> This story is now complete. I don't plan on writing anymore for this AU. However, I can imagine what I would if I did. Otoya and Toki would go into a larger city where they'd hear a rumour about something very strange being seen out in the sea. Half man, half fish. I'll leave it up to your imagination if this creature has blue hair or blond.
> 
> Hopefully I'll see you on another one of my stories! Whether you're a silent or vocal reader, I appreciate it! If you want to come talk to me, I have my tumblr and discord info on my profile. Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This story will take up the majority of my focus so until I finish it, I doubt I will be writing much else. Thankfully, I already have over half of it written and the rest of it planned out. Trying to tag this was more of a pain than usual cause I know what's coming but I need to hold back for now. Well, is 'major character death' really holding back...? The other characters will trickle in slowly and some others will be shown the exit just as quickly cause ya know. Character death. Any guesses on who will survive after this chapter lol?


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